NORTHERN IRELAND

Air Links (Europe)

David Trimble: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what support the Government are providing to facilitate the reintroduction of a direct flight between Northern Ireland and Brussels.

Barry Gardiner: To date an application for support to the Air Route Development Fund for a Brussels route has not been made by any of the Northern Ireland Airports in relation to a Brussels route. The Fund is fully committed at present and consideration of any further new routes must await the outcome of the current review of the Scheme.

Asthma

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many asthma-related admissions have been made to hospitals in the Province in the last 12 months.

Angela Smith: During 2003–04 (the latest year for which information is available) there were 2,515 admissions to hospitals in Northern Ireland where the primary diagnosis was asthma.

Cannabis

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to his answer of 8 March 2005, Official Report, column 1653W, on cannabis, how many of those arrested for (a) possession and (b) sale of cannabis in each police district command unit area in Northern Ireland since its reclassification were prosecuted.

Ian Pearson: To date a total of 81 persons have been proceeded against for offences of possession or intent to supply class C drugs during the period 29 January 2004 to 31 January 2005. A number of cases in relation to this period are still pending in the courts.
	It is not possible to provide a breakdown of prosecutions by police district command units.

Children (Street Selling)

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what Police Service of Northern Ireland investigations are ongoing into young children acting as street sellers in central and south Belfast; how many arrests have been made in connection with this problem; and what efforts are being made to prosecute those who have organised such activities.

Ian Pearson: The Regulatory Services Department of Belfast city council takes the lead on the issue of illegal street trading. Since July 2004 Enforcement Officers from the Regulatory Services Department, supported by the PSNI, have conducted a total of 21 operations aimed at illegal flower selling. As a result of these operations a significant number of real and imitation flowers to the value of £64,750 have been seized.
	No persons are currently being prosecuted by Belfast city council for selling flowers in Belfast city centre. To date no arrests have been made by police officers in relation to this issue.

Economy (Greater Antrim)

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the economic impact of the Junction 1 retail park on the greater Antrim area economy since its opening.

Barry Gardiner: Government have made no such estimate.

EU Nitrates Directive

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his latest estimate is of the cost to farmers in the Province of compliance with the EU Nitrates Directives; and what public funds and reliefs are being allocated to assist with the costs.

Ian Pearson: Officials have been working closely with the industry in developing the Nitrates Directive Action Programme proposals that are currently subject to consultation and include measures to address both nitrogen and phosphorus.
	Details of the economic cost of compliance are outlined in the Nitrates Directive Consultation Paper, which was published on 21 February 2005. A copy of this document is available from www.dardni.gov.uk.
	The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has made available £45 million under the Farm Nutrient Management Scheme for capital grant support to assist compliance with the Nitrates Directive. A phased approach to implementation has also been drawn up to assist farmers.

Global Point International Business Park

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2005, Official Report, column 1328W, on Global Point International Business Park, for what reasons the first operational company expected to locate at the Business Park is conditional upon completion of the public inquiry into the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan; and when he expects the inquiry to conclude.

Barry Gardiner: The draft Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan (BMAP) has zoned additional lands for employment/industry at Ballyhenry. These lands are identified as a single zoning along with the existing Invest NI Global Point site.
	The weight that the Planning Service would give to the draft BMAP in determining Invest NFs current application for the development of Global Point depends on a number of factors including the representations received by BMAP during the consultation period. Work is on-going on the assessment and collation of all representations received up to the closing date of 25 January 2005.
	Until the impact of BMAP on the current application is determined, Invest NI has had to assume that the Ballyhenry lands will be considered as a single zoning. From liaison with Planning Service it is understood that issues concerning zoning will probably be required to be addressed at public inquiry, hence the response to the hon. Member's earlier question (219688).
	It is too early in the process to give an indication of when a public inquiry will be held to consider representations to the draft BMAP.

Invest Northern Ireland

John Hume: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the new building proposed in Derry by Invest Northern Ireland was agreed in principle by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment; if he will make a statement on the progress with the project; how many evaluations of the project have been carried out; and what target date he has set for the commencement of the building.

Barry Gardiner: Ministerial approval, which allowed the project to proceed to final negotiation of the legal contracts with the preferred developer, was granted on 10 December 2004. These negotiations have proven to be difficult. However Invest NI is making every possible effort within the requirements of public accountability to reach a satisfactory and timely resolution to the outstanding issues. Other than the normal tender evaluation process and an associated economic appraisal, there has been no subsequent evaluation of the project. A target date for the commencement of building cannot be established until completion of the contract negotiations and legal documentation.

Northern Ireland Assembly

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the level of payment is for MLAs who are members of the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission; when the payment was authorised; by whom; and what the responsibilities of those individuals have been since the Assembly was suspended.

Paul Murphy: Under the Northern Ireland Assembly (Members Salaries) Determination 1999 as provided for by section 47 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, members of the Assembly Commission received an increased salary entitlement of £10,864.
	Following suspension of the Assembly, I made the Northern Ireland Assembly (Members Salaries) (Amendment) Determination 2002 which had the effect of reducing the increased entitlement for members of the Assembly Commission to zero from 5 November 2002.
	Under paragraph 8 of the schedule to the Northern Ireland Act 2000, the Assembly Commission is unable to meet and its functions are exercised by me.

Northern Ireland Assembly

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for how long Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly will continue to be paid salaries and allowances while the Assembly remains in suspension.

Paul Murphy: The current salaries of Members of the Assembly are kept under regular review. However I fully recognise that continuing to pay these amounts is not an option which can be sustained indefinitely.

Police Stations

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his plans are for (a) opening hours and (b) allocation of manpower to police stations at (i) Toome, (ii) Randalstown, (iii) Crumlin and (iv) Templepatrick in each year from 2005 to 2009.

Ian Pearson: The current opening hours in Antrim DCU are as follows:
	Antrim—24 hour opening.
	Crumlin—Monday 3 pm to 5 pm, Tuesday 5 pm to 7 pm, Wednesday 5 pm to 7 pm, Friday 5 pm to 7 pm and Saturday 5 pm to 7 pm.
	Randalstown—5 pm to 7 pm Monday to Saturday, closed Sunday and public holidays.
	Templepatrick—Not open to public.
	Toome—Not open to public.
	The allocation of resources and opening hours of all stations in the DCU are kept under constant review by the DCU Commander.

Renewable Energy

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of electricity in Northern Ireland is produced from renewable sources.

Barry Gardiner: An up-to-date estimate of the percentage of total electricity which will be supplied in Northern Ireland from indigenous renewable sources in 2004–05 is 3.2 per cent. If imports of electricity obtained from renewable sources are included this figure rises to 5.5 per cent.

Renewable Energy

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in reaching targets regarding the provision of renewable energy in Northern Ireland.

Barry Gardiner: Northern Ireland's single renewable energy target is that, by 2012, 12 per cent. of all electricity supplied to Northern Ireland consumers will come from indigenous renewable generation. Annual targets have not been set, however in the past year total electricity supplied from renewable energy sources in Northern Ireland has increased from 2.7 per cent. to 3.2 per cent.
	If imports of electricity obtained from renewable sources are included this figure rises to 5.5 per cent.

Roads

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he has taken to consult local farmers and residents between Randalstown and Toome on the proposed building of a new motorway to replace the existing A road.

John Spellar: The Chief Executive of Roads Service (Dr. Malcolm McKibbin) has been asked to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.
	Letter from Malcolm McKibbin to Mr. David Burnside, dated March 2005
	You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question about what steps he has taken to consult local farmers and residents between Randalstown and Toome on the proposed building of a new motorway to replace the existing A road. I have been asked to reply as these issues fall within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Roads Service.
	The A6 Randalstown to Toome Road forms part of the Key Transport Corridor linking Belfast and Londonderry. In recognition of its strategic importance, Roads Service is proposing to replace the existing road with a high standard dual carriageway from the end of the M22, west of Randalstown, to Castledawson, incorporating the recently completed Toome Bypass.
	As part of this process, Roads Service held a public exhibition to inform local farmers and residents of progress on the planning of the scheme. The purpose of the public exhibition was to obtain comments on the alternative alignments that have been developed. Members of the public, whose property may be affected by these alignments, were individually invited to visit the exhibition and to express their views or preferences and the exhibition was advertised in the press. All visitors had the opportunity to record their comments at the exhibition, by completing a questionnaire, or by writing to Roads Service at a later date.
	Following the public exhibition, Roads Service officials attended meetings with local representatives and landowners, to receive further comments and, where possible, to address their concerns.
	Roads Service officials are now considering all comments received during this consultation process and will take these into account in the selection of the preferred alignment. If necessary, a further public exhibition will be held before a single preferred alignment is proposed. The preferred route alignment will then, of course, be subject to the statutory procedures process, which gives further opportunity for public comment.
	I hope this information is helpful.

RUC Garden of Remembrance

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what arrangements are in place for (a) foreign politicians, (b) hon. Members from Great Britain and (c) representatives of the media visiting the Province to be shown the RUC Garden of Remembrance at the Police Service of Northern Ireland headquarters at Knock, Belfast.

Ian Pearson: The RUC GC Garden is open to anyone who wishes to visit it. All visits to the garden are arranged on an appointment basis through the RUC GC Foundation which has responsibility for the garden. Visitors are met and escorted around the garden by one of the many volunteer guides.
	Although the foundation does not keep specific records of who has visited the garden, I can confirm that since it opened in September 2003 almost 7,000 people have visited it, including a number of Members of Parliament.

SCOTLAND

Dangerous Goods (Transportation)

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 
	(1)  who is responsible for policing the regulations relating to dangerous goods safety advisers in Scotland;
	(2)  which Government departments in Scotland are responsible for (a) the Transport of Dangerous Goods (Safety Advisors) Regulations 1999, as amended and (b) the Carriage of Dangerous Goods and use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2004 (S.I., 2004, No. 568).

Anne McGuire: holding answer 21 March 2005
	Policy responsibility on transport of dangerous goods in Scotland is reserved and rests with the Secretary of State for Transport.
	The Transport of Dangerous Goods (Safety Advisors) Regulations 1999 were revoked by the Carriage of Dangerous Goods and use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2004.
	The 2004 Regulations (SI 2004/568) were drafted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after consultation with a wide range of organisations in Scotland and elsewhere. The Regulations are the policy responsibility of the Department for Transport. Competent authority functions are primarily shared between the Department for Transport and the HSE.
	The HSE are the lead agency for enforcement of the legislation relating to dangerous goods safety advisors. The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency and the police also have enforcement responsibilities under a Memorandum of Understanding with the HSE.

Fishing Industry

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the Scottish Executive Minister for Environment and Rural Development to discuss prospects for the Scottish fishing industry.

Anne McGuire: My right hon. Friend and I have regular discussions with Scottish Ministers about a wide range of matters.

Office of Civil Nuclear Security

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State who is responsible for the Office of Civil Nuclear Security in Scotland; and whether the Office has field inspectors based solely in Scotland.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 21 March 2005
	The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry is responsible for nuclear security in the UK, and this is carried out on her behalf by the Director of Civil Nuclear Security.
	Office for Civil Nuclear Security inspectors are allocated responsibility for sites according to the security need; there are none dedicated solely to Scotland.

Surplus Assets Sales

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his Department sold any surplus stock on the eBay auction website, in each year since 2000–01.

Anne McGuire: The Scotland Office has sold no surplus stock on the eBay auction website.

Surplus Assets Sales

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the value of sales of surplus assets from his Department was in each year since 2000–01.

Anne McGuire: The value of sales of surplus Scotland Office assets since 2000–01 was £567.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Abandoned Cars

Parmjit Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been spent on dealing with abandoned cars in (a) Leicester and (b) England since 1997.

Alun Michael: The Defra Abandoned Vehicle Survey of 2002–03 reported that 111,000 was spent on the abandoned vehicle service in Leicester City. Over the same period it is estimated that the cost for England as whole was £26.9 million. We do not hold figures for other years.

Accidents

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she publishes data for the number of accidents at work involving employees of her Department; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: Defra's Departmental Health and Safety Unit publish an annual report each April, which gives detail on all aspects of the core-Department's safety performance, including accident statistics. The agency safety advisers also provide this data for their own agency reports. Historically, the Defra departmental report has also published data for the number of accidents at work involving employees of the Department.

Accidents

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what arrangements for monitoring accidents at work involving members of staff of her Department are in place; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: Within the core-Department accident reports are collated centrally by the Departmental Health and Safety Unit. These are investigated by the internal health and safety specialists and the risk assessments relating to that activity form part of the investigation. A formal programme of auditing is undertaken in order to spot any accident/ill-health trends and focus risk management arrangements to reduce accidents/incidents.
	Under current policy line managers must investigate each incident in relation to the effectiveness of their health and safety procedures and monitor all such reports in relation to their local risk assessment programme.
	Defra agencies have equivalent accident reporting procedures and monitoring arrangements in compliance with the Defra Safety Policy.

Area Aid

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the level of area aid scheme inaccuracy was as a percentage of total claims in each EU country in the last year for which figures are available.

Alun Michael: The following table shows IACS inspection results on declarations of area for 2002 (relating to claims paid in 2003).
	
		
			 Member state Applications with errors (percentages) 
		
		
			 Belgium 0.7 
			 Denmark 0.7 
			 Germany 0.7 
			 Greece 3.9 
			 Spain 2.5 
			 France 0.7 
			 Ireland 0.2 
			 Italy 3.3 
			 Luxembourg 2.8 
			 Netherlands 2.3 
			 Austria 1.9 
			 Portugal 1.1 
			 Finland 0.8 
			 Sweden 2.9 
			 UK 0.4 
			 Total 2002 1.7 
		
	
	Figures taken from the European Court of Auditors Annual Report concerning the financial year 2003.

Bees

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to ensure that under the proposed EU directive 2004/28/EC on Veterinary Medicines (a) medicines available to beekeepers for the treatment of pests and diseases will be exempt from the regulations set out and will not require a prescription and (b) the proposed inspectors will be qualified experts who provide and use antibiotics in the treatment of disease and not veterinary surgeons who have no training in bee health.

Ben Bradshaw: The amending directive, 2004/28/EC, was published by the European Commission on 30 April 2004 following a major review of EU medicines legislation. Member states are required to implement its provisions by 30 October 2005. It includes a provision requiring all medicines for food-producing animals, including bees, to be available only on veterinary prescription.
	This provision was introduced with the intention of strengthening the control of these medicines and related consumer safeguards. While there are valid reasons for restricting some veterinary medicines to prescription supply, we do not consider this appropriate for all medicines for use in food-producing animals. Neither the Commission, nor the majority of member states supported the UK view and the requirement was consequently included in the amending directive.
	However, the UK successfully negotiated the inclusion of a provision that allows medicines that meet certain criteria, to be agreed subsequently, to be exempt from the prescription requirement. This provision also allows the current distribution arrangements to remain until a list of exemption criteria is agreed, or until January 2007 if no list has been agreed by then. The exemption list is to be proposed by the Commission and voted on by the member states. We are well aware of concerns expressed by UK beekeepers and will continue to argue strongly for medicines for routine use in bees that do not meet any of the other criteria for prescription only status to be included on the list.
	In addition to pressing for routine bee medicines to be exempted from the prescription requirement, we have proposed new distribution categories for the UK that include tiered categories of prescription only medicines. If adopted, these will comply with the directive's provisions while allowing most medicines for food-producing animals that are currently available without prescription to be supplied by pharmacists or suitably qualified persons without the need to involve a veterinary surgeon.
	Antimicrobial resistance is a serious problem in human medicine resulting in increasing concerns about the use of antimicrobial products, including antibiotics, in human medicine, veterinary medicine, agriculture and horticulture. It is therefore likely that any veterinary medicines containing antibiotics will be under veterinary control. There is one antibiotic authorised for use in bees, for the treatment of Nosema. Officials at the Veterinary Medicines Directorate will be discussing how this antibiotic is to be supplied with beekeeper representatives.

Betton Abbots Landfill Site

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the long-term viability of the Betton Abbots landfill site.

Elliot Morley: Betton Abbots landfill site is operated by Shropshire Waste Management (SWM). In 2002, SWM applied to the Environment Agency for a permit under the provisions of the Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) Regulations to significantly extend the existing site. As part of the application process the company needed to demonstrate that the underlying groundwater resources would not be affected.
	A survey carried out by SWM for the extension of the landfill demonstrated that the geology beneath the site is primarily sandstone, which contains a major aquifer. Environment Agency guidance, based on the requirements of the EU Landfill Directive, precludes the authorisation of any new landfill sites located on major aquifers unless substantial low permeable barriers such as certain types of clay protect them. This does not exist at Betton Abbots and as a consequence SWM have withdrawn their permit application.
	In addition to the pollution control issues, there are outstanding planning issues before the site could be considered for further importation of waste materials, these relate mainly to the provision of a new road into the site.

Carbon Emissions (National Allocation Plan)

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what criteria she used in making the decision that 736 million tonnes of carbon emissions was appropriate for the National Allocation Plan; for what reasons steps were taken to increase the amount to 756 million tonnes; and what assessment she has made of the impact of not achieving the increase.

Elliot Morley: The provisional total of 736 million tonnes included in the UK's National Allocation Plan was calculated by estimating the projected emissions from the sectors covered by the EU ETS and subtracting the additional savings of 5.5 MtCO 2 which the Government decided the EU ETS would deliver. This calculation was based on provisional emission projections and this was made clear when submitting the UK's National Allocation Plan (NAP) to the European Commission in April 2004.
	Following the finalisation of emissions projections and Climate Change Agreement targets UK emissions for the period 2005–07 are now estimated to be around 56 MtCO 2 higher than in April last year. These latest projections are more consistent with recent historic emissions levels.
	Rather than increase the total by that amount, the UK proposed to increase the total number of allowances by around 20 million to 756 million, which ensures that the UK strikes a balance between the concerns of business about potential competitiveness impacts and the UK's leadership on climate change. However, the Commission has made it clear that it does not consider that the provisional total of 736 million allowances can be exceeded and is not prepared to consider any increase.
	On 11 March the Government announced their intention to issue allowances in line with the NAP approved by the Commission (736 million) as soon as possible to allow operators to fully participate in the EU ETS, while initiating legal proceedings against the Commission, seeking to require the Commission to consider the substance of the amendment.
	In accordance with earlier announcements, the additional reduction will be taken from the electricity supply industry. As this industry is more insulated from international competition than others, this approach will have less of an impact on UK competitiveness than reducing the allocation to other industries. The Government do not expect this approach will have a material impact on electricity prices which will reflect the price of allowances in the EU-wide market, rather than the number of allowances allocated free to generators. In the event of a successful challenge, the additional allowances would be distributed between the installations in the Electricity Supply Industry (ESI) sector.

Countryside (Access)

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what research the Countryside Agency has carried out to determine the effects of the introduction of the provisions of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 in the (a) South East and (b) lower North West; and how many members of the public have taken advantage of this new access provision;
	(2)  what effect the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 has had on the (a) numbers of people accessing the countryside and (b) number of walks undertaken in the (i) South East and (ii) lower North West areas;
	(3)  what plans (a) her Department and (b) the Countryside Agency have for monitoring the effects on (i) access and (ii) outdoor recreation of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.

Alun Michael: The Countryside Agency is developing a monitoring programme on the effects of the introduction of the new right of access under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 which will provide information at a national and regional level on the numbers of people taking advantage of the new right.
	The monitoring programme will also explore issues such as visitor behaviour, enjoyment and satisfaction with access rights in more depth. The main elements of the monitoring programme include additional interviews in the continuing England Day Visitor Survey, which measures public use of access land, and using an Omnibus Survey to track public awareness and understanding of access rights and of what constitutes responsible visitor behaviour both in the countryside in general and in relation to access land. In addition there will be on-site surveys to establish a more in-depth profile of visitors and visitor behaviour on access land and an on-line (website) survey of access land users seeking to establish qualitative data on views, perceptions and levels of public satisfaction in relation to access land. The Agency's monitoring programme will include a land manager survey to assess the impact of the new rights of access on land managers and also a nature conservation monitoring element through an extension to the Breeding Bird Survey, operated by the British Trust for Ornithology.
	The England Day Visitor Survey records day visits to the countryside and will for the first time separately identify visits to open access land and to English National Parks. The Agency will publish the results of the England Day Visitor Survey and Omnibus Survey in April 2006. The report will include an assessment of the impact of the Act on the number of people accessing the countryside including the effect on the number of walks undertaken in the South East and Lower North West. This assessment will be possible once a full year of data is available to compare against the visits recorded by the Great Britain Day Visit Survey 2002–03. The other elements of the monitoring programme are scheduled to commence from summer 2005 and the Agency will publish reports from these early in 2006.

Decontamination (Corby)

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions (a) she and (b) the Environment Agency have had with Corby borough council concerning the decontamination of the land formerly occupied by the British Steel ironworks at Corby.

Elliot Morley: My officials have been in contact with Corby borough council over funding of intrusive investigations at various sites. Subsequently, the Environment Agency has been asked by the council under Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to inspect on its behalf one site in the ironworks area, and other sites in the borough, as potential special sites. They are meeting to discuss this shortly. Investigations under Part IIA help to establish the level and nature of any risk to human health or the environment from land contamination, and may inform decisions about subsequent remediation.
	The Agency has also been consulted by the borough about several planning applications, as a statutory consultee under Town and Country Planning legislation for certain types of application. Such consultations enable the Agency to comment on risks to controlled waters in connection with development proposals.

Departmental Budget

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on her Department's budget for 2005–06; and what the projected change in expenditure is for each component of the budget in each year between 2004–05 and the latest year for which projections have been made.

Alun Michael: The 2004 Spending Review Settlement provided Defra with its Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) profile for the years 2005–06, 2006–07 and 2007–08, as shown in the following table. In 2004–05 the Department's DEL is £3,085 million resource and £331 million capital.
	
		£ million
		
			  2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 
		
		
			 Resource 3,276 3,314 3,420 
			 Capital 339 339 339 
			 Total DEL 3,615 3,653 3,759 
		
	
	In addition, Defra estimates Annually Managed Expenditure (AME) and income from the EU as set out in the following table.
	
		£ million
		
			  Annually managed expenditure (AME) EU income 
		
		
			 2004–05 2,445 -3,280 
			 2005–06 2,351 -3,393 
			 2006–07 2,367 -3,258 
			 2007–08 2,375 -3,211 
		
	
	A more detailed breakdown of planned spending will be published in the departmental report 2005 later this year.

Environment Campaigns

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the national environment campaigns promoted by the Government since 1997; and what the (a) resource costs, (b) capital expenditure costs and (c) staffing costs were of each at today's prices.

Alun Michael: The information is as follows.
	
		Waste and resources action programme(1)
		
			 £000 
			  Expenditure Expenditure at 2004–05 prices 
		
		
			 1997–98 — — 
			 1998–99 — — 
			 1999–2000 — — 
			 2000–01 — — 
			 2001–02 — — 
			 2002–03 — — 
			 2003–04 (2)517 528 
			 2004–05 3, 4, 55,431 54 
		
	
	(1) The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) is funded by Defra, the Devolved Administrations, and currently the DTI. WRAP was formed in 2000 and began work 2001. Figures supplied by WRAP.
	(2) Staff numbers 2 (rounded estimate), staff cost £55,000.
	(3) Staff numbers 4.5, staff cost £115,000.
	(4) WRAP have committed a total of 10 million to a national campaign Recycle Now" over the three year period 2003–06.
	(5) Full year estimate.
	
		ENCAMS
		
			 £000 
			  Expenditure Expenditure at 2004–05 prices 
		
		
			 1997–98 3,997 4,734 
			 1998–99 3,697 4,256 
			 1999–2000 3,762 4,238 
			 2000–01 3,542 3,944 
			 2001–02 3,762 4,085 
			 2002–03 (6)3,597 3,777 
			 2003–04 3,574 3,650 
			 2004–05 (7)4,542 4,542 
		
	
	(6) In addition to this expenditure Defra allocated an additional £1 million to local authorities through ENCAMS for the Local Environmental Quality Pathfinder Programme that forged partnerships between local authorities and the local community. Some of the projects developed reduced fast food litter, railway land litter and schools litter.
	(7) Encams baseline grant was increased by £1 million in 2004–05, and is being increased by a further £1 million in 2005–06.
	Government funding is provided to ENCAMS (formerly Tidy Britain Group) annually. This funding supports ENCAMS work on a range of local environmental quality issues, including programmes to discourage littering.
	Staff and resource figures are not available
	
		Carbon Trust
		
			 £000 
			  Expenditure Expenditure at 2004–05 prices 
		
		
			 1997–98 — — 
			 1998–99 — — 
			 1999–2000 — — 
			 2000–01 — — 
			 2001–02 — — 
			 2002–03 (8)(5507610009)700 735 
			 2003–04 3,300 3,371 
			 2004–05 3,600 3,600 
		
	
	(8) The Carbon Trust was formed in 2001–02 but did not begin marketing activity until 2002–03. Figure for 2002–03 is total marketing expenditure. Figures for 2003–04 and 2004–05 represent expenditure on awareness campaigns.
	(9) Figures for resource breakdown not available as Carbon Trust do not distinguish between these categories in the funding information they provide to Defra.
	In addition to Government environmental promotions, the Carbon Trust, an independent company funded by Defra, spent the following on marketing campaigns targeted at business and the public sector.
	
		Energy Saving Trust
		
			 £000 
			  Expenditure Expenditure at 2004–05 prices 
		
		
			 1997–98 (10)3,31 3 3,924 
			
			 1998–99 3,532 4,066 
			
			 1999–2000 3,726 4,198 
			
			 2000–01 4,208 4,687 
			
			 2001–02 6,542 7,105 
			 Staff (488) (530) 
			 Resource (6,054) (6,575) 
			
			 2002–03 5,742 6,029 
			 Staff (487) (511) 
			 Resource (5,255) (5,519) 
			
			 2003–04 6,038 6,167 
			 Staff (560) (572) 
			 Resource (5,478) (5,595) 
			
			 2004–05 (11)8,511 8,511 
			 Staff (600) (600) 
			 Resource (7,901) (7,901) 
		
	
	(10) Figures for 1997–98 to 2000–01 inclusive show advertising expenditure only and include a small amount of Scottish Executive support.
	(11) Figure for 2004–05 also includes a separate campaign to promote energy efficiency in the run-up to the start of the Energy Efficiency Commitment for 2005–08.
	In addition to Government environmental promotions, the Energy Saving Trust, an independent company funded by Defra, spent the following on its Energy Efficiency" Consumer Marketing Campaign.
	
		DETR/Defra:Are you doing you bit? campaign
		
			 £000 
			  Expenditure Expenditure at 2004–05 prices 
		
		
			 1997–98 0 0 
			 1998–99 3,809 4,385 
			 1999–2000 7,666 8,637 
			 2000–01 9,976 11,110 
			 2001–02 525 570 
			 2002–03 (12)0 0 
			 2003–04 0 0 
		
	
	(12) This campaign served to raise public awareness and to encourage individual action to help the environment. However, in the absence of an underpinning legal requirement, it was considered to be of lower priority than the Department's other environmental programmes which bodies such as the Energy Savings Trust and NGOs will deliver. Winding down the campaign will help deliver savings of £3.4 million pa from 2005–06 onwards.
	Staff and resource figures are not available.
	All expenditure at 2004–05 prices has been calculated using the GDP deflator tables from HM Treasury.Since similar questions were answered there have been changes in accounting practices which have given rise to variations in some of the figures given in this answer.

G8 Environment and Development Ministers Meeting

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what matters were (a) discussed and (b) agreed at the special joint meeting of G8 Environment and Development Ministers in Derby on 16–17 March; if she will (i) post on the departmental website and (ii) place in the Library copies of (A) papers submitted and (B) the final declaration of the meeting; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: At the G8 Environment and Development Ministerial on 17–18 March Ministers met to discuss climate change in Africa and action to tackle illegal logging and had informal discussions on the Commission for Africa Report, reform of humanitarian aid and the importance of biodiversity for sustainable livelihoods. Ministers also met with civil society representatives.
	Ministers agreed that African countries are particularly vulnerable to climate variability and climate change and discussed what more needed to be done, including assistance to reduce vulnerability by building resilience to climate variability and by developing capacity to adapt to climate change. Ministers then identified the key elements needed for an effective international response as building scientific capacity and integrating measures to address the impact of climate change in international development assistance and regional and national development plans. The vulnerability of developing countries to climate change in Africa and throughout the developing world will be discussed by Heads of State and Government at the Gleneagles summit in July.
	G8 Ministers agreed that further action was needed to help support timber producing countries to improve governance of their forest resources and tackle wildlife trafficking and to deal with the demand for illegally logged timber, including action to halt the import and marketing of such timber, and using public procurement policies. Ministers also agreed that illegal logging policy experts would meet to review progress towards these commitments in 2006.
	Copies of the papers for and outcomes from the ministerial will be placed in the Library of the House and on the Defra website.

Inspection and Enforcement Costs

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost of inspection and enforcement activities carried out by (a) her Department and (b) regulatory bodies and agencies sponsored by her Department was in (i) 1996–97 and (ii) 2003–04.

Alun Michael: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Plastic Waste

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government is taking to encourage (a) retailers and (b) manufacturers to reduce the amount of plastic waste produced in the UK.

Elliot Morley: The Government are taking a number of measures to reduce the amount of waste produced, including plastic waste.
	The Government-funded Envirowise programme offers UK businesses free advice and support on practical ways to minimise their waste and reduce their environmental impact.
	Additional revenue generated from increases to the landfill tax will be redistributed to business through the Business Resource Efficiency and Waste (BREW) programme to encourage and support resource efficiency, waste minimisation and diversion of waste away from landfill.
	As part of their Retailer Initiative, the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) are working with retailers to reduce waste from supermarkets. Part of this work is looking at design issues around packaging and the scope for reduction.
	There are two sets of regulations that encourage producers and retailers to minimise packaging. The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997 (as amended) are intended to increase the recovery and recycling of packaging waste and incorporate a cost incentive to reduce the overall amount of packaging. The Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations 2003 place a number of requirements on all packaging placed on the market in the UK, including a requirement that packaging should be manufactured so that the packaging volume and weight are limited to the minimum adequate amount to maintain the necessary level of safety, hygiene and acceptance for the packed product and for the consumer.

Protected Birds

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to extend the protected bird species listed in Schedule 4 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 23 March 2005
	In 2002 Defra carried out a full public consultation on the bird registration scheme with the key results that the scheme be retained with some minor changes to the administration process and that a study be commissioned by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) firstly to agree scientific criteria for including species on Schedule 4 and then to apply those criteria to candidate species.
	The study has now been completed and the recommendations in their report are likely to form the basis for a full public consultation where interested parties will be invited to comment on the proposals and to submit further evidence for consideration.

Single Farm Payment

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what impact she expects the delay in the single farm payment to have on smaller farmers.

Alun Michael: The Rural Payments Agency has announced that it expects to begin payments under the single payment scheme in February 2006, well before the deadline of 30 June 2006 set in EU legislation. To the extent that farmers have made plans based on receiving a payment earlier, they may face cash-flow problems. Whether that happens in practice depends very much on the individual circumstances of the farm business rather than its size.

Single Farm Payment

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what criteria were used to define severely disadvantaged areas; and for what reason the Moorland Line was not used in determining areas eligible for the lower rate of the single farm payment.

Alun Michael: The severely disadvantaged areas (SDAs) form part of the less favoured areas (LFAs) of the UK as listed in EU Council Directive 84/169/EEC. The LFAs are further divided for domestic purposes between SDAs and disadvantaged areas (DAs), the distinction being one of degree, most significantly of land quality. Upland SDAs are disadvantaged relative to non-SDA land in respect of a number of handicaps. These include higher altitude, harsher climate with a shorter growing season, low soil fertility, difficult topography, and remoteness.
	Both the SDAs and the Moorland Line have been taken into account in establishing English areas for the purpose of the single payment scheme (SPS.) In view of the considerable redistributional effects that would flow from a single flat rate payment under the SPS, it was initially concluded that England would be divided into two areas, SDAs and other land. However, following representations from a number of key stakeholders (including the NFU and the CLA) this has been amended so that the area boundaries that will apply in England divide the country into three, broadly corresponding to land types and still using existing boundaries. One area comprises the upland severely disadvantaged area (SDA), another the Moorland Line within the SDA and the third area will be all land outside the SDA.

Surplus Assets Sales

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the value of sales of surplus assets from her Department was in each year since 2000–01.

Alun Michael: The following table shows the value of sales of surplus assets in fiscal years since the Department was formed in 2001, up to 31 January 2005 in the current year. There are no figures provided for Defra's predecessor Departments as this information could be provided only by incurring disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  £000 
		
		
			 2001–02 18,024 
			 2002–03 7,879 
			 2003–04 18,892 
			 2004–05(13) 3,530 
		
	
	(13) to 31 January 2005
	This information is included in departmental Resource Accounts, copies of which are normally available in the Library.

Timber

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of whether Denmark's inclusion of social criteria in its policy for timber procurement complies with the requirements of the European Forestry Certification Scheme; and if she will make a statement on the implications for inclusion of social criteria in UK policy.

Elliot Morley: The UK Government accept that social criteria are complementary to environmental and economic criteria in the context of sustainable forest management and that international guidelines, including the Pan European Operational Level Guidelines, recognise this principle. The UK Government timber procurement policy has been devised so that one outcome will be the enhancement of forest dependent peoples' well being through an increase in the amount of legal timber and timber from well managed forests being supplied.
	European procurement directives require public sector contracting authorities to limit their contract specifications to criteria that are relevant to the product or service being purchased. The UK Government believe that forest dependent people play a part in sustaining forest health and vitality. However, as far as the procurement directives are concerned, their well being does not appear to be sufficiently relevant to the subject matter of contracts to warrant inclusion as contract specification criteria. The UK's interpretation of the directives is based on legal advice and on advice from officials responsible for procurement policy. It would appear that a different view is taken by Denmark. However, if it were ever to be established beyond reasonable doubt that the well being of forest dependent people could feasibly be included as a requirement in public sector contracts, then the UK Government would reconsider its position.

Trade

Michael Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the implications of the World Trade Organisation appellate body's decision on the Brazil-United States cotton case WT/DS267/AB/R for the eligibility of the Common Agricultural Policy's single payment scheme as a green box measure as defined by the WTO.

Alun Michael: The implications, if any, of the appellate body's ruling are not immediately apparent, not least because it does not set a directly applicable precedent under WTO law, and an individual case relating to the single payment scheme would be considered on its own merits. However, we will discuss further with the European Commission which has indicated that it will also be considering the implications of the ruling for the EU.

Warm Front (Newcastle-under-Lyme)

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many pensioners have received assistance from the Warm Front Scheme in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Elliot Morley: Between the launch of the Warm Front scheme in June 2000 and the end of February 2005 approximately 1,100 pensioner households in Newcastle-under-Lyme received assistance from the scheme.
	Of these, 440 received assistance under Warm Front and 650 from Warm Front Plus.

Waste Management

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  whether she met a delegation of representatives from the waste management industry on 15 March; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what plans the Government have to ease the zero-tolerance policy towards contamination of sorted municipal waste.

Elliot Morley: I met with representatives of the waste management industry on 15 March to discuss the issue of exports of household recyclables.
	Exports of waste destined for disposal are prohibited from the UK. Export of mixed municipal waste is regarded as waste destined for disposal and is thus prohibited. Suitably separated, clean recyclable material is acceptable for export subject to certain controls, which may require pre-notification of the shipment. Operators must check the relevant rules. The Environment Agency has recently issued a regulatory guidance note on this issue.

Waste Management

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans the Government have to change the guidelines to local authorities on recycling and collection of sorted municipal waste to increase efficiency.

Elliot Morley: Following a public consultation in 2004, Defra will shortly be publishing Guidance for Waste Collection Authorities on the Household Waste Recycling Act 2003. The Act requires English local authorities to collect at least two types of recyclable material separately from the remainder of the waste by 2010.
	The Waste and Resources Action Programme's (WRAP) Recycling and Organics Technical Advisory Team (ROTATE) advises local authorities on best practice for recyclate collection methodologies. In addition, the Environment Agency has just issued regulatory guidance on the export of household recyclables for recovery.

Waste Management

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the costs to farmers of implementing the (a) Waste Framework Directive, (b) the Landfill Directive and (c) the Waste Management (England and Wales) Regulations 2005.

Elliot Morley: I announced that the Government have published for consultation the draft Waste Management (England and Wales) Regulations 2005 on 9 December 2004, Official Report, column 106WS. The main purpose of the draft Regulations is to repeal the current exclusion in section 75(7)(c) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and to apply to agricultural waste the national controls that are already in place to comply with the Waste Framework Directive and the Landfill Directive. The consultation paper is available in the Library of the House and on the Department's website at http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/agwaste-regs/index.htm.
	The consultation paper includes a Regulatory Impact Assessment which estimates the total disposal cost to farmers of complying with the extension of controls to agricultural waste to be £26.5-£65.3 million per annum with the mid-point of the range being £45.9 million pa.

Water Quality/Supply

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to ensure that increases in water charges are used to (a) improve (i) reliability of supply and (ii) water quality and (b) reduce (A) sewer flooding and (B) pesticide run-off.

Elliot Morley: Water companies may increase their charges only within the price limits set by Ofwat. Ofwat's approach to setting price limits is to allow no more than is necessary for efficient companies to finance their functions. In co-operation with the Environment Agency and the Drinking Water Inspectorate, Ofwat monitor companies' delivery of their functions and levels of service and takes regulatory action where their performance falls short.
	In the period covered by new price limits, 2005 to 2010, companies will be undertaking a range of measures in order to meet their water supply duties. Companies will, for example, take measures to increase the security of supply where supply is most at risk, including measures to reduce leakage. They will be making improvements to water treatment works to continue to meet the standards of drinking water quality, as well as improving the taste, colour and odour of drinking water in areas where this has been an issue of local concern. They are also expected to reduce the number of homes at risk from sewer flooding so that by 2010 no more than 0.01 per cent. of properties will be at risk of internal flooding from overloaded sewers at least once every 10 years.
	The reduction of pesticide run-off is the responsibility of the farmers and growers who apply the pesticides to their crops not the water companies. The Government encourage farmers and growers through advice and Codes of Practice to minimise their use of pesticides to avoid the risk of run-off to surface waters.

Zoological Parks

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many zoological parks there are in the West Midlands.

Elliot Morley: The Department's records indicate that there are seven establishments in the West Midlands which are licensed as zoos under the Zoo Licensing Act 1981. Definitive records of licensed zoos are kept by local authorities.

Zoological Parks

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much land is occupied by zoological parks and gardens, broken down by individual park.

Elliot Morley: The Department does not hold information on how much land is occupied by zoological parks and gardens, either in total or broken down by individual park.

Zoological Parks

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the revenue generated by zoological parks and gardens in England in 2004.

Elliot Morley: The Department does not estimate or hold information on the revenue generated by zoological gardens in England.

Zoological Parks

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance the Government have issued regarding the keeping of animals in captivity.

Elliot Morley: The keeping of animals in captivity is a very broad subject, potentially covering everything from zoos and aquaria to farmed animals, game birds and companion animals—including exotic species. The Department has issued a wide range of guidance relevant to these matters. For example, the Secretary of State's Standards of Modern Zoo Practice set out the standards recommended for keeping animals in zoos. A list which includes a number of other relevant publications can be found on the Defra website at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/publications/pubcat/anh.htm

Zoological Parks

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the expansion of zoological parks and gardens; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: Zoos are subject to a comprehensive system of licensing and inspection, under the Zoo Licensing Act 1981, to ensure that appropriate standards are maintained.
	Beyond the regulation provided by this Act, the Department has no further policies specifically addressing the issue of expansion of zoological parks and gardens, either in relation to total numbers of zoos or expansion of individual zoos. Both matters are likely to be subject to controls under the Town and Country planning regime.
	I believe well-managed zoos can play an important role, both in raising public awareness about wild animals and their habitats, and participating in wildlife conservation activities.

CABINET OFFICE

Surplus Assets Sales

Nigel Evans: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the value of sales of surplus assets from his Office was in each year since 2000–01.

David Miliband: The value of sales of surplus assets in my Department for each year since 2000–01 is set out in the table.
	
		Sales proceeds on income from disposal of fixed assets
		
			  £000 
		
		
			 2003–04 4,856 
			 2002–03 176 
			 2001–02 529 
			 2000–01 153 
		
	
	The higher level of sales for 2003–04 is the result of the disposal of land and buildings.
	This information is contained within notes of the Resource Accounts available in the Library (Note 10: 2001–02, 12: 2002–03, 13: 2003–04).

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

General Election

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will invite international observers to assess whether the forthcoming general election is fair.

Christopher Leslie: As a participating member of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, we would normally invite its Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights to send election observers to any elections held in the UK. I fully expect us to repeat our previous practice of doing so once the date for the next general election is announced.

Human Rights Act (Gibraltar)

Robert Key: To ask the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether his Department treats the Human Rights Act 1998 as applying to (a) residents of Gibraltar and (b) locally employed Ministry of Defence employees in Gibraltar.

David Lammy: No.

PRIME MINISTER

Peerages

Owen Paterson: To ask the Prime Minister what the principal address at the time of elevation was of each peer created since 1 September 2004, broken down by (a) nation within the UK and (b) region of England for peers resident in England at the time of elevation.

Tony Blair: Three people have been elevated to the peerage since 1 September 2004. The place of residence at the time of their elevation is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Residence at time of elevation Number 
		
		
			 England  
			 Yorkshire 1 
			 London 2

Transcript

Andrew Selous: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 9 March 2005, Official Report, column 1509, to the right hon. and learned Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Mr. Howard), if he will place a copy of the transcript to which he refers in the Library.

Tony Blair: No transcript was made by my office.
	As I made clear in my answers to the right hon. and learned Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Mr. Howard) on 9 March 2005, Official Report, column 1509, the Government acted on the advice of the Police and the Security Agencies to bring forward new Counter Terrorism legislation. These new powers will be used against those people engaged in or plotting terrorist acts. The powers would not be used against protestors, unless they were engaged in terrorist activities.

TRANSPORT

Blind Junctions

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the impact of installing convex mirrors at blind junctions on the level of road accidents; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The Department has made no overall assessment of the impact convex mirrors have had on road accidents. The Department's view is that the use of traffic mirrors presents more disadvantages than benefits and their use on public roads should be considered only in exceptional circumstances if no better solution is available.

Car Clubs

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much funding has been provided for car clubs in each financial year since 199798; what the projected funding to 200607 is; and if he will make a statement.

Charlotte Atkins: In 1999, the Department contributed setting up costs of 150,000 to establish the Edinburgh City Car Club.
	The Department has also been supporting the CarPlus car club advisory service with the following annual grants:
	
		 -- 
		
			  Annual grant 
		
		
			 1999 37,000 
			 2000 38,000 
			 2001 103,000 
			 2002 53,000 
			 2003 60,000 
			 2004 60,000 
		
	
	CarPlus have requested further funding for 200506. This is currently under consideration.

Channel Tunnel Rail Link

Jonathan R Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his letter of 22 December 2004 to the hon. Member for Chatham and Aylesford in respect of residents living near the channel tunnel rail link, when he will provide a full reply to the issues raised.

Tony McNulty: Department for Transport officials are working with the Department's advisers and Union Railways on possible options for a compensation model for residents concerned about the noise and vibration impacts arising from the operation of the channel tunnel rail link at the North Downs tunnel. However, this is a complex matter which needs to be given careful consideration. I hope to write to the hon. Gentleman soon setting out our proposals to resolve this issue.

Concessionary Travel

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what additional resources he plans to make available to (a) Wychavon district council and (b) Worcester city council to fund the concessionary bus fare scheme for pensioners and the disabled announced in the Budget.

Charlotte Atkins: 350 million will be provided to English local authorities to cover the additional costs of free fares on local bus services. This sum will be added to the annual local government finance settlement. The amount each authority will receive will be determined as part of this settlement.

Concessionary Travel

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  whether the concessionary travel announced in the Budget statement will be paid to local authorities through the revenue support grant;
	(2)  whether the concessionary travel funding announced in the Budget statement (a) will be paid directly to local authorities and (b) will be based upon the costs of individual schemes within each authority;
	(3)  how local authorities deemed to be floor authorities for the purpose of receiving revenue support grant will be treated in respect of the grant for concessionary travel announced in the Budget statement; whether the floor will be applied to the grant to these authorities; and whether they will be expected to absorb the full costs of concessionary travel.

Charlotte Atkins: The additional funding for local authorities to implement the move to free concessionary fares for older and disabled people on off-peak local bus services will be paid to local authorities through the revenue support grant. It will be distributed according to the overall revenue support grant settlement formula.
	No decisions have yet been taken on possible floor schemes for 200607 onwards.

Concessionary Travel

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many pensioners in Chorley he expects will benefit from free bus transport.

Charlotte Atkins: From April 2006, the Government are extending the existing statutory minimum requirement for concessionary fares so that people aged 60 and over and disabled people in England will be guaranteed free off-peak travel on their local bus services, with no charge for the pass.
	In Chorley, all residents over 60 will benefit from free local bus travel. According to the 2001 census, there were then 16,813 pensioners (men aged 65 and over and women aged 60 and over) and 19,421 people over 60 in Chorley.

Railways

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list companies which have submitted accreditation questionnaires to the Department as part of the pre-qualification procedure for the operation of the new Great Western Franchise.

Tony McNulty: The Strategic Rail Authority is continuing to evaluate the submissions. A list of all companies submitting questionnaires will be released when the successful pre-qualified bidders are announced.

Surplus Assets Sales

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the value of sales of surplus assets from his Department was in each year since 200001.

Charlotte Atkins: The Department for Transport was formed on 29 May 2002 and has published Resource Accounts since 200203, copies of these accounts are laid before the House and are available in the Library.
	In their Resource Accounts Departments are required to disclose the proceeds from the sale of fixed assets consistent with the requirements of the Resource Accounting Manual (RAM) and Government Accounting.
	The proceeds from the sale of fixed assets were:
	
		
			   million 
		
		
			 200203 4.756 
			 200304 12.024

Transport Services (Leicester)

Parmjit Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many trains into Leicester (a) have arrived late in the last (i) three and (ii) six months and (b) arrived late in 2004.

Tony McNulty: Trains are timed at their final destination station and Leicester is not the final destination station for the majority of trains serving it. The train operators do not compile the requested information.

Transport Services (Leicester)

Parmjit Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what financial support he has made available for bus services in (a) Leicester and (b) England in each year since 1997.

Charlotte Atkins: The Department has made available funding to local authorities in England under the Urban Bus Challenge (UBC) Competition. Leicester has been successful with two UBC awards, for the Braunstone Community Service (1.130 million awarded in 2001) and the for the Service 54 Enhancement (82,000 awarded in 2003).
	Since 1998 the Department has also made available funding to local authorities in England under the Rural Bus Subsidy Grant (RBSG) and the Rural Bus Challenge (RBC) Competition. The following table shows the total amounts made available under all three grant schemes in England by year:
	
		
			   million1 
		
		
			 199899 43.7 
			 19992000 49.3 
			 200001 53.7 
			 200102 77.3 
			 200203 85.7 
			 200304 88.4 
			 200405 51.0 
		
	
	(14) Includes totals awarded to RBC and UBC schemes in the year of award. Expenditure on Challenge projects is typically spread over 23 financial years. Challenge competitions were not held in 2004.
	The majority of funding for local bus services is available through the Government's Revenue Support Grant (RSG) to local authorities. It is a matter for each authority to decide how much of their RSG resources are used to support bus services.
	Bus services throughout England will also have benefited from the Department's Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) and support for local transport capital expenditure.

Transport Services (Leicester)

Parmjit Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many violent attacks there have been against (a) staff on Leicester buses, (b) staff employed at Leicester Railway Station and (c) Leicestershire's traffic police in each year since 1997.

Tony McNulty: The information is as follows:
	(a) Data on bus staff assaults are only recorded at a national level for England and separately for London.
	(b) The BTP have provided the following data concerning attacks against staff employed at Leicester Railway Station. The data are shown by performance year 1 April-31 March since 1998. Due to the significant changes in the way that crime was recorded due to new Home Office Counting Rules on 1 April 1998, the BTP have informed me that there are no comparable data for 1997:
	
		
			 Offence 199899 19992000 200001 200102 200203 200304 
		
		
			 Actual Bodily Harm 2 1 0 2 1 0 
			 Causing Racially Aggravated Harassment, Alarm or Distress 0 0 0 1 1 0 
			 Common Assault 3 6 1 1 3 7 
			 Total 5 7 1 4 5 7 
		
	
	(c) The Department does not collect data on attacks on traffic police, who are part of local authority police forces.

TREASURY

Conception Rates

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average conception rate for those under 18 years was in each year since 1998; if he will list the 20 per cent. of wards with the highest conception rates for those under the age of 18 in each year; and what the average total conception rate for those under the age of 18 was in each year, calculated from those wards designated as belonging to the 20 per cent. with the highest rates of under-18 conceptions.

Margaret Hodge: The following table shows the rate of under-18 conceptions for each year from 1998 (the baseline year for the teenage pregnancy strategy) to 2003 (the latest year for which data are available). This shows that the rate has declined by 9.8 per cent. since 1998.
	
		Table 1: Under-18 conceptions in England: 19982003
		
			  Under-18 conception rate(15) Percentage change since 1998 
		
		
			 1998 46.6 0 
			 1999 44.8 -4.1 
			 2000 43.6 -6.4 
			 2001 42.5 -8.9 
			 2002 42.6 -8.6 
			 2003 42.1 -9.8 
		
	
	(15) Per thousand females aged 1517
	Source:
	Office for National Statistics and Teenage Pregnancy Unit, 2005
	Aggregated ward-level data for 200002 shows that the average rate in the 20 per cent. of wards with the highest rates is 76.8 per 1,000 females aged 1517. A table containing the names of the 1,608 highest rate wards has been placed in the Library.

Customs and Excise

Peter Luff: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the current rental cost is of office space occupied by Customs and Excise in (a) Birmingham and (b) Droitwich Spa;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the cost of transferring computer equipment and systems from the Customs and Excise office in Droitwich Spa to Birmingham, including the cost of contractual changes with suppliers;
	(3)  when the Offices of Customs and Excise in Droitwich Spa were most recently refurbished; what the total cost was of the refurbishment, separately identifying the costs of (a) redecoration, (b) double glazing, (c) provision of office equipment and computer contracts and (d) lighting;
	(4)  what his estimate is of the costs of providing alternative office accommodation for staff to be moved from the Customs and Excise Office in Droitwich Spa including (a) the cost of rented space and (b) refurbishment costs of office space in Birmingham;
	(5)  whether his Department has undertaken a full cost-benefit analysis of the decision to close the Droitwich Spa office of Customs and Excise.

Stephen Timms: No decision on relocation has yet been made. The Droitwich office is owned by the Ministry of Defence who have confirmed their intention to close the building and have given notice to Customs and Excise to find alternative accommodation. In these circumstances, Customs have not undertaken a cost analysis of the closure. Until relocation details are agreed it is not possible to provide costings for the alternative office space or for the cost of transferring equipment and systems.
	The rental of the premises cannot be separately identified, as a single payment is made to the MoD encompassing both rent and rates. The space occupied by Customs in Birmingham was transferred to Mapeley Ltd. as part of a PFI deal in April 2001. A Facility Price is payable for this space which is for fully serviced accommodation. Again, a figure for rental alone is not available.
	Records show the most recent office refurbishment took place in 1995, but detailed information is not readily available.

Employment (Pudsey)

Paul Truswell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the levels of long-term (a) adult and (b) youth employment in Pudsey in the last 10 years.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Paul Truswell, dated 24 March 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about long-term unemployment. (223521)
	Information on the number of people who are unemployed is calculated from the Labour Force Survey. However, the Labour Force Survey sample size for the Pudsey Parliamentary Constituency is too small to provide the estimates requested.
	The Office for National Statistics also compiles statistics of those claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (ISA) for local areas including Parliamentary Constituencies. The attached table gives the annual average numbers of residents in the Pudsey Parliamentary Constituency claiming JSA benefits for over 12 months in each year from 1996 to 2004: (a) who were aged 25 or over; and (b) who were aged 18 to 24. Comparable information is not available for earlier years.
	
		JSA claimants resident in the Pudsey parliamentary constituency claiming for 12 months or more
		
			 Annual averages Adult claimants (aged 25 and over) Youth claimants (aged 1824) 
		
		
			 1996 390 50 
			 1997 250 20 
			 1998 155 10 
			 1999 140 5 
			 2000 140 5 
			 2001 115 5 
			 2002 70 5 
			 2003 55 5 
			 2004 45 5 
		
	
	Source:
	Jobcentre Plus Administrative system

Freedom of Information

Andrew Turner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a list of those individuals who sent e-mails to the official responsible for inadvertently sending information to the BBC about the UK's departure from the ERM which was not to be released in response to the Financial Times' request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in the 48 hours up to the dispatch of the information; and what the (a) titles and (b) copy recipients were of each e-mail.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 21 February 2005
	No one in the Treasury knew that the information concerned had been inadvertently sent to the BBC on 4 February until the BBC reported the fact on 9 February. As the Treasury has made clear, no Treasury Minister or political adviser received any communication relating to, or had any involvement in, any decision concerning the Freedom of Information Act disclosure in question. It has been the long established practice under successive Administrations not to release the names of individual officials when answering questions about internal communications within a department.

Gaelic Language

Alan Reid: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his Department's policy is on the use of the Gaelic language; and what plans his Department has to prepare and implement a Gaelic language scheme.

Stephen Timms: Action to support the Gaelic language is primarily the responsibility of Scottish Ministers.
	The Treasury regards the promotion and protection of the Gaelic language as an important responsibility, in line with the UK's obligations under the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages.
	The Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill currently before the Scottish Parliament does not extend statutory obligations on UK public bodies in Scotland in relation to the preparation or implementation of Gaelic language plans. However, UK departments and public bodies which operate in Scotland maylike comparable Scottish public bodieshave a role to play in facilitating the use of the language.
	The Treasury has been working with colleagues in the Scotland Office and the Scottish Executive on the role we can play, voluntarily, in securing the status of Gaelic.

Gas Appliances

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people died from carbon monoxide poisoning in their homes in the last year for which figures are available.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Barry Sheerman, dated 24 March 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many people died from carbon monoxide poisoning in their homes in the last year for which figures are available. (223564)
	The latest year for which figures are available is 2003. 1 The number of deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning 2 in the deceased's own home 3 in England and Wales in that year was 154.
	1 Deaths occurring in 2003
	2 The cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code T58.
	The majority of deaths due to 'toxic effect of carbon monoxide' are suicides. Some deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning are also of undetermined intent, homicides or the result of fires. A small proportion are the result of accidental poisoning.
	3 Place of deathown home

Ministerial Directions

Keith Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list ministerial directions that his Department has been notified of since 30 October 2003.

Paul Boateng: The Treasury has not been notified of any ministerial directions for the period since 30 October 2003.

Pensioner Travel (Merseyside)

John Pugh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what account will be taken in his Budget proposals for free local transport for pensioners of the position of local authorities which have previously funded free local travel for pensioners, with particular reference to Merseyside Passenger Transport Authority; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Boateng: Local government will receive increased funding to help meet the costs of providing free concessionary fares for older and disabled people on local off-peak bus services. The additional funding will be provided through Revenue Support Grant as part of the annual local government finance settlement. The amount received by each authority, including the constituent authorities of the Merseyside Passenger Transport Authority, will be determined by the settlement in the usual way.

Pensions

Peter Viggers: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the Government Actuary's Department's latest estimate is of the net value of the Government's liability for pensions to be paid to its employees; and how much of this sum is in respect of (a) funded and (b) unfunded schemes;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the unfunded liabilities of public sector pension schemes; what the liabilities were in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and what proportion of gross domestic product these figures represented in each year.

Stephen Timms: The total liabilities of unfunded public service pension schemes at 31 March 2004 are estimated to be 460 billion. The last comparable estimate of total liabilities was 425 billion at 31 March 2003; the estimates for the years prior to 2003 were not made on a comparable basis. Comparable information is not held on the liabilities of the funded Local Government Pension Scheme or other funded public sector pension schemes.
	Expenditure arising from these liabilities will be spread across many decades into the future.
	As a proportion of Gross Domestic Product in the financial year in which the liabilities were assessed, the figure of 425 billion can be expressed as 40 per cent. of the 200203 Money. GDP figure of 1,058 billion and the figure of 460 billion can be expressed as 41 per cent. of the 200304 Money GDP figure of 1,118 billion. However, as detailed in the Long-term Public Finance Report of December 2004 annual expenditure on these pensions was 1.5 per cent. of GDP in 200304 and is projected to rise to 2.2 per cent. of GDP over the 50 years to 205354.

Road Expenditure

William Cash: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what basis the Office for National Statistics defines current spending for repairs and maintenance on roads as capital expenditure.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 17 March 2005
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. William Cash, dated 24 March 2005
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking on what basis the Office for National Statistics (ONS) defines current spending for repairs and maintenance of roads as capital expenditure. (222370)
	ONS classifies all current spending for repairs and maintenance of roads as current expenditure and none as capital expenditure. The basis for classifying ordinary maintenance and repairs as current expenditure is from the 1995 European System of Accounts, paragraph 3.108.
	ONS found that it had incorrectly used a combination of two approaches for recording road maintenance expenditure in the public sector current budget, resulting in double counting. This has now been corrected. This correction was initially, on 18 February, described as a reclassification from current to capital expenditure. However, in a News Release of 28 February, accompanying a technical note of the revision it was pointed out that the revision was most easily explained as removing depreciation from both the current budget and net investment. It was not a conceptual reclassification of repair and maintenance expenditure.

RU64 Suitability Standard

Richard Spring: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment his Department has made of the effects of the extension of the RU64 suitability standard to all stakeholder financial services products on (a) the provision of financial advice to those at whom stakeholders products are aimed and (b) consumer choice in the financial services market; what representations he has received on those matters from (i) financial services providers and (ii) consumer groups; and what discussions he has had with the Financial Services Authority on these matters;
	(2)  when the Financial Services Authority expects to publish further guidance on the RU64 suitability standard; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  when the Financial Services Authority expects to publish its consultation paper on the RU64 suitability standard that has applied to the sale of personal pensions since 1999; what the timescale for the consultation will be; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The FSA is responsible for setting standards about the quality of advice on investment products. It indicated in its consultation paper 04/11, published in June 2004, that it did not intend to extend the particular suitability test that currently applies to the sale of stakeholder pensionsknown as 'RU64'to the wider suite of stakeholder products that will be launched in April 2005. The FSA has confirmed to me that this position has not changed since the publication of that paper.
	The FSA has more recently made public its intention to consult shortly on removing 'RU64' from its rules in relation to stakeholder pensions. The issues that this proposed action would give rise to will be discussed fully in the FSA's consultation document when it is published. Officials meet with representatives of industry, consumer groups and the FSA from time to time to discuss a variety of issues regarding financial services.

Stamp Duty

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the reduction in stamp duty yield from residential property which would result from raising the threshold at which stamp duty is applicable at 1 per cent. from 60,000 to 100,000.

Stephen Timms: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 14 March 2005, Official Report, columns 8586W, to the hon. Member for Perth (Annabelle Ewing) The stamp duty threshold for residential property at which the 1 per cent. rate applies has been raised from 60,000 to 120,000 with effect from 17 March 2005.

Stamp Duty

Mark Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many transactions there were of residential property sales between (a) 60,000 and 120,000 and (b) 250,000 and 500,000 in Greater London in each of the last five full financial years; and how much stamp duty was raised from them in each year.

Stephen Timms: Estimates of the numbers of residential property transactions and amount of stamp duty raised from residential property sales in Greater London between 60,000 and 120,000 and between 250,000 and 500,000 are given in the following table:
	
		
			  60,000-120,000 250,000-500,000 
			  Number of transactions (thousand) Stamp duty ( million) Number of transactions (thousand) Stamp duty ( million) 
		
		
			 19992000 69 65 20 180 
			 200001 52 50 24 260 
			 200102 47 40 29 305 
			 200203 35 20 33 360 
			 200304 19 5 32 350

Stamp Duty

Sue Doughty: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many properties in England and Wales on which stamp duty was levied at a rate of one per cent. were sold at between 60,000 and 120,000 in each year since 2000; and how many of these properties were sold to first time buyers in each year.

Stephen Timms: Estimates of the number of residential properties selling for between 60,000 and 120,000 in England and Wales, on which stamp duty was levied at 1 per cent. are given in the following table for 2000 to 2003 inclusive. Estimates for 2004 will be available later in the year.
	It is not possible to provide this information for first time buyers.
	
		Thousand
		
			  Estimated number of residential properties sold for between 60,001 and 120,000 
		
		
			 2000 430 
			 2001 447 
			 2002 453 
			 2003 338

Tax Credits

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how his Department plans to ensure that those who are entitled to claim tax credit are informed of their eligibility.

Dawn Primarolo: Around 6 million families are benefiting from tax credits. The Inland Revenue encourage people to claim tax credits and they maintain awareness of tax credits through a range of advertising and publicity activities. In particular, information about tax credits is included in the Bounty Bags that new mothers receive. And there is an ongoing advertising campaign designed specifically to encourage claims from ethnic minority communities is another priority, using local radio and advertising in the ethnic press and magazines and appropriate intermediary organisations through in-community work.
	All our advertising campaigns, whether aimed at encouraging early renewal of awards, or about reporting changes of circumstances serve to maintain awareness of tax credits generallyresearch shows 95 per cent. awarenessand experience has shown that such campaigns do prompt people to make inquiries to the Tax Credits Helpline.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Affordable Homes

David Amess: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many affordable homes he plans to deliver (a) over the forthcoming spending review period and (b) in each year after the end of that period; and if he will make a statement.

Keith Hill: The funding provided in the Spending Review will, along with efficiency improvements, produce 75,000 social rented homes and 40,000 homes for low cost home ownership (including essential public sector workers) over the three years to 200708.
	In addition, Sustainable Communities: Homes for All sets out the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's plans to deliver more affordable housing over the five years to 200910. Measures include assisting over 80,000 first time buyers and keyworkers to achieve their home ownership aspirations.
	The delivery of outputs from 200809 will be dependent upon the outcome of the next Spending Review in 2006.

Civil Justice (Repossessions)

Simon Hughes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 21 February 2005, Official Report, column 332W, when the Civil Justice Council and Department for Constitutional Affairs will issue a pre-action protocol for possessions cases; and when the cross-Whitehall group on possessions and evictions will issue good practice guidance.

Keith Hill: A consultation exercise on the pre-action protocol for possession cases is planned to take place this summer. The cross-Whitehall group aim to issue their good practice guidance on possessions and evictions in summer 2005. This group has been working closely with the Civil Justice Council and the Department for Constitutional Affairs to ensure that the pre-action protocol and the guidance are complementary. This will be a practical guide on the management of rent arrears, which make up 93 per cent. of possessions cases; and is aimed at all social housing organisations and specifically cabinet and board members, housing practitioners and stakeholders. It will set out the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's policy position that possession action should only be taken where strictly necessary.

Community Wardens

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the local authorities that have received central government funding for community and neighbourhood wardens since 1997; for how long that funding was allocated; and which local authorities which have received it no longer receive such central funding.

Yvette Cooper: The Government have funded three rounds of warden pilot schemes. The information is in the following table. Funding for the first round of warden pilots began in 200001, with rounds two and three starting in 200102 and 200203 respectively. Funding for the first round of warden pilots ended in March 2004, funding for the second round will end in March this year and funding for the third round will end in March 2006. Of the 84 round 1, neighbourhood warden schemes, 70 (83 per cent.) have been sustained after the end of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's funding and continue to operate as successful warden schemes. For the 122 round 2, street warden schemes, the majority already have future funding agreed although in some areas decisions have yet to be taken. Guidance has been issued to all round 2 street warden schemes whose funding ends in March 2005. This includes information on how other schemes achieved continued funding, a list of funding sources and guidance for schemes on how they can contribute to Government floor targets. Sustainability events have been organised regionally by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's funded warden resource centres. Letters of support from senior officials in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and visits from trained consultants are also available to schemes who are seeking future funding. In addition at least 150 more warden schemes have been set up by LAs, RSLs on other bodies without pilot funding.
	
		ODPM funded warden schemes led by local authorities
		
			 Local authority Funding round 1 Funding round 2 Funding round 3 Total number of schemes 
		
		
			 Allerdale DC 1 0 0 1 
			 Amber Valley BC 0 1 0 1 
			 Avon and Somerset DC 0 1 0 1 
			 Barnsley MBC 1 1 0 2 
			 Bedford BC 0 1 0 1 
			 Birmingham city council 2 2 1 5 
			 Blackpool DC 0 0 1 1 
			 Bolton MBC 1 0 0 1 
			 Boston BC 1 0 0 1 
			 Bradford CC 0 1 1 2 
			 Bristol CC 0 2 2 4 
			 Burnley BC 1 1 0 2 
			 Bury MBC 1 1 0 2 
			 Caerphilly CC 1 0 0 1 
			 Calderdale CC 0 1 0 1 
			 Cambridge CC 0 1 0 1 
			 Cannock Chase DC 0 1 0 1 
			 Canterbury CC 1 0 0 1 
			 Charnwood BC 0 1 0 1 
			 Cherwell DC 0 1 0 1 
			 Chester CC 0 1 0 1 
			 City of Cardiff 1 0 0 1 
			 City of Swansea 1 0 0 1 
			 Colchester BC 0 1 0 1 
			 Congleton BC 0 1 0 1 
			 Cornwall MBC 0 1 0 1 
			 Coventry city council 1 0 1 2 
			 Dacorum BC 1 0 0 1 
			 Darlington CC 1 0 0 1 
			 Dartford BC 0 1 0 1 
			 Derby BC 1 0 0 1 
			 Derwent and Solway MBC 0 1 0 1 
			 District of Bolsover 0 1 0 1 
			 Doncaster MBC 1 1 0 2 
			 Easington DC 0 1 0 1 
			 Eastbourne BC 0 1 0 1 
			 Exeter CC 1 0 0 1 
			 Gateshead MBC 1 1 0 2 
			 Gosport BC 1 0 0 1 
			 Great Yarmouth CC 0 1 0 1 
			 Guildford BC 1 1 0 2 
			 Gwynedd CC 1 0 0 1 
			 Hastings B.C. 1 1 0 2 
			 Horsham DC 1 0 0 1 
			 Hull city council 1 0 0 1 
			 Huntingdonshire DC 1 1 0 2 
			 Ipswich BC 0 1 0 1 
			 Kerrier CC 1 0 0 1 
			 Kirklees BC 1 1 0 2 
			 Knowle West MBC 0 1 0 1 
			 Knowsley BC 1 0 0 1 
			 Lancaster city council 0 1 0 1 
			 LB Barking and Dagenham 0 1 0 1 
			 LB Barnet 1 1 0 2 
			 LB Basildon 0 1 0 1 
			 LB Brent 0 0 1 1 
			 LB Camden 0 1 1 2 
			 LB Croydon 0 0 1 1 
			 LB Ealing 0 0 1 1 
			 LB Greenwich 0 1 0 1 
			 LB Hackney 1 0 0 1 
			 LB Hackney 0 0 1 1 
			 LB Hammersmith and Fulham 0 1 0 1 
			 LB Haringey 0 0 1 1 
			 LB Harrow 0 1 0 1 
			 LB Hounslow 1 0 0 1 
			 LB Islington 1 0 1 2 
			 LB Lewisham 1 1 1 3 
			 LB Merton 1 1 0 2 
			 LB Newham 0 0 1 1 
			 LB Redbridge 0 1 0 1 
			 LB Southwark 1 1 1 3 
			 LB Streatham 0 0 1 1 
			 LB Tower Hamlets 1 1 1 3 
			 LB Walthamstow 0 0 1 1 
			 LB Wandsworth 0 1 1 2 
			 LB Westminster 0 0 1 1 
			 LB Havering 1 0 0 1 
			 LB Hillingdon 1 0 0 1 
			 Leeds city council 1 l 1 3 
			 Leicester city council 1 0 0 1 
			 Lincolnshire DC 0 1 0 1 
			 Liverpool city council 2 0 1 3 
			 Luton BC 0 1 0 1 
			 Macclesfield DC 1 0 0 1 
			 Malvern Hills DC 0 1 0 1 
			 Manchester MBC 4 0 1 5 
			 Mansfield DC 0 1 0 1 
			 Merthyr Tydfil county BC 1 0 0 1 
			 Middlesbrough BC 1 1 0 2 
			 Milton Keynes council 1 0 1 2 
			 Newark and Sherwood DC 0 1 0 1 
			 Newcastle CC 0 1 0 1 
			 North Tyneside DC 1 0 0 1 
			 Northumberland CC 2 1 0 3 
			 Norwich city council 1 1 0 2 
			 Nottingham city council 1 1 1 3 
			 Oldham BC 1 0 0 1 
			 Oxford DC 0 0 1 1 
			 Peterborough BC 0 1 0 1 
			 Portsmouth city council 1 0 0 1 
			 Preston DC 0 1 1 2 
			 Reading BC 0 1 1 2 
			 Redcar and Cleveland DC 0 1 0 1 
			 Rotherham BC 1 1 0 2 
			 Royal Borough of Kingston 0 1 0 1 
			 Salford city council 1 1 1 3 
			 Sandwell MBC 0 2 0 2 
			 Sedgefield DC 1 0 0 1 
			 Sevenoaks DC 0 1 0 1 
			 Sheffield CC 2 1 1 4 
			 Slough BC 1 1 1 3 
			 Solihull MBC 0 1 0 1 
			 South Gloucestershire CC 1 0 0 1 
			 South Kesteven CC 0 1 0 1 
			 South Manchester 0 0 1 1 
			 South Tyneside council 1 1 0 2 
			 Spelthorne MBC 0 1 0 1 
			 Stevenage borough council 1 0 0 1 
			 Stockport MBC 0 1 1 2 
			 Stockton DC 1 1 0 2 
			 Stoke on Trent city council 1 0 0 1 
			 Sunderland BC 1 0 0 1 
			 Sutton DC 1 0 0 1 
			 Swindon BC 0 1 0 1 
			 Tameside MBC 0 1 0 1 
			 Tamworth BC 0 1 0 1 
			 Test Valley BC 0 1 0 1 
			 Thanet CC 0 1 0 1 
			 Thurrock council 0 1 0 1 
			 Torbay CC 0 1 0 1 
			 Trafford MBC 2 1 1 4 
			 Vale of White Horse DC 1 0 0 1 
			 Vale Royal BC 0 1 0 1 
			 Wakefield DC 1 0 0 1 
			 Walsall MBC 1 1 1 3 
			 Wealdon DC 0 1 0 1 
			 Wear Valley DC 0 1 0 1 
			 Welwyn Hatfield DC 0 1 0 1 
			 West Bromwich BC 0 0 1 1 
			 West Lancashire DC 1 0 0 1 
			 Wigan BC 1 0 0 1 
			 Wirral DC 1 0 0 1 
			 Wolverhampton MBC 1 0 1 2 
			 Wyre Forest DC 2 0 0 2 
			 Total 82 90 38 210

Council House Repairs

David Amess: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether his Department met its target to reduce the council house repairs backlog by at least 900,000 properties by April 2004; if he will set a new target further to reduce the council house repairs backlog; and if he will make a statement.

Keith Hill: Repairs to council housing are now covered by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's target to ensure that all social sector homes reach the decent homes standard by 2010. By reducing the number of non-decent homes we are also reducing the repairs backlog.

Council Tax

David Laws: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will rank in descending order for each (a) county council and (b) district council the change in the level of council tax levied (i) between 199697 and 200506 and (ii) between 200001 and 200506; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Raynsford: The information requested has been made available in the Library of the House.

Empty Homes (Somerset)

Brian Cotter: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many empty homes there are in (a) North Somerset and (b) the parliamentary constituency of Weston-Super-Mare.

Keith Hill: The answer for (a) , ie the total number of empty properties in North Somerset UA, is 2,200 at 1 November 2004. This figure comes from the council tax records. A figure for (b) is not available because no such data are collected below local authority district level and Weston-Super-Mare is only part of North Somerset UA.

Gypsies and Travellers

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister for what reasons Brentwood borough council has been directed to draw up a Gypsy and Traveller development plan document.

Yvette Cooper: The reason for the First Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister, being minded to direct Brentwood borough council to prepare an additional development plan document is set out in a letter of 7 March from the Government Office for the East of England, a copy of which has been made available in the Library of the House.

Gypsies and Travellers

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans his Department has to amend planning guidance to facilitate the development of Traveller sites on green belt land.

Keith Hill: The Government's guidance on Green Belt remains as set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note 2 (PPG2).

Gypsies and Travellers

David Amess: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what representations he has received concerning illegal traveller camps and unauthorised encampments.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has received a range of representations on this subject, including correspondence from Members of Parliament, their constituents and various stakeholder groups.

Heathrow

John McDonnell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the procedure for the determination of planning applications relating to the future development of Heathrow airport (a) runways and (b) terminals.

Keith Hill: It would be inappropriate for a Minister in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to discuss an individual planning case because of the appellate function of the First Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister.
	Provisions in the Planning and Compulsory Purchase 2004, which are due to commence in May 2005, provide that the Secretary of State, my right. hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister, may direct that an application for planning permission or an application for the approval of a local planning authority required under a development order may be referred to him if he thinks the development to which the application relates is of national or regional importance. In such cases an inspector must be appointed to consider the application and make recommendations to the Secretary of State, my right. hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister, on such matters relating to the application as are prescribed.

Local Authority Staff

Richard Taylor: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the employment of people over the age of 65 by local authorities.

Phil Hope: Information on the number of people currently over the age of 65 employed by local authorities is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Local authorities will recognise for themselves the benefits of recruiting, training and retaining staff of all ages which will help encourage a move towards a more diverse workforce in local government.
	The Government have concluded that legislation should set a default retirement age of 65, but also create a right for employees to request working beyond a compulsory retirement age, which employers will have a duty to consider seriously. Provided that they have the consent of their employer, people over the age of 65 will be able to stay in employment. Legislation from 2006 will make unjustified age discrimination in recruitment, training, promotion and dismissal unlawful for workers of all ages.

Non-decent Homes Target

David Amess: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether his Department achieved its target of cutting the number of non-decent homes by a third over the 2001 baseline by December 2004.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's 2004 Autumn Performance report, published in December, provides a comprehensive update on progress against the decent homes public service agreement (PSA) target, and is available on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website, at: www.odpm.gov.uk.

Parking (Medical Centres)

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will re-examine the planning guidelines relating to parking requirements at primary care medical centres.

Keith Hill: Government planning policies on parking are laid down in Planning Policy Guidance note (PPG) 13 Transport. We want to promote accessibility, the use of public transport, walking and cycling and to reduce the need to travel, especially by private car. The availability of parking is an important factor in people's transport choices, so we encourage local authorities to develop and implement policies on parking that, as part of a package of planning and transport measures, ensure levels of parking provided in association with development will promote sustainable transport choices. There should be no minimum standards for development, other than parking for disabled people, and policies in development plans should set maximum levels of parking for broad classes of development.
	PPG13 sets national maximum standards at Annex D for certain classes of use, and local authorities should follow these unless the applicant has demonstrated that a higher level of parking is needed. Primary care centres are not one of the uses where the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has set specific standards but officials have been asked to keep this under review for any future guidance that might be issued.

Regional Housing Boards

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the role is of the regional housing boards.

Keith Hill: The boards are non-statutory bodies comprising representatives of organisations with a key role in the delivery of sustainable communities, brought together at the request of Ministers to take a complementary, strategic approach towards addressing regional and national housing priorities. Ministers have asked each to produce a Regional Housing Strategy (integrated with their region's planning and economic strategies), and to advise on the allocation of funds to support housing capital investment to address the priorities identified in the strategy.

Departmental Dress Code

David Taylor: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his Department's policy is on the wearing of the Kirpan by Sikh employees.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's commitment not to discriminate unfairly on the grounds of religion or belief is set out clearly in its equal opportunities policy.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no objection to its Sikh employees wearing the Kirpan, except where security policy dictates otherwise, and similar items are also banned.

Social Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he will allow local authorities to submit their stock option proposals after his July deadline.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister expects local authorities to comply with the guidance on stock options appraisals, which is to submit proposals for sign-off by the end of July 2005.

Social Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  if he will replace his Housing Action Task Force with a task force to help and advise those councils which decide to retain their housing stock;
	(2)  when he intends to disband his Community Housing Task Force; and whether the individual contracts of its members will run beyond July.

Keith Hill: The Community Housing Task Force is available to advise all local authorities on their options appraisals regardless of their chosen delivery route.
	Once options appraisals are signed off by the end of July this year, local authorities may require continued support to ensure that the chosen options translate into successful outcomes.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is discussing with Government Offices how best to provide this support, including the role of the Community Housing Task Force. We have no plans to disband the Task Force.

Social Housing

Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many affordable housing units there were in the schemes rejected by his Department in June 2003 for funding through transitional local authority social housing grant.

Keith Hill: The Housing Corporation ran a competitive bidding round which closed in June 2003 for funding through the transitional local authority social housing grant arrangements. The Corporation, in consultation with Government Offices, assessed the submitted bids. Results were announced in October 2003: those bids that were not successful comprised some 4500 dwellings.

Social Housing

Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 25 February 2005, Official Report, column 902W, on social housing (right to buy), for what reasons his Department estimates that receipts from right to buy sales will decline between 200304 and 200708.

Keith Hill: The Government's announcement in January 2003 that they intended to modify the right to buy scheme led initially to higher sales. They expect sales to revert to longer-term trend levels over the next few years.

Social Housing

Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  what the reasons are for the change in the number of affordable housing units expected to be built over the 200304 to 200506 period with transitional local authority social housing grant since the written answer of 8 December 2003, Official Report, column 345W to the hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr. Hammond);
	(2)  if he will release further transitional local authority social housing grant funding to ensure that his Department delivers the 14,000 affordable housing units referred to in the written answer of 8 December 2003, Official Report, column 345W to the hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr. Hammond).

Keith Hill: The number of homes expected to be provided in the 200304 to 200506 period with transitional local authority social housing grant was based on all approved schemes completing. Some schemes are not coming to fruition due to planning difficulties or because they have subsequently failed to meet the criteria set. Some of these have received funding through the Approved Development Programme (ADP). The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no plans to extend the transitional arrangements for local authority social housing grant beyond 200506.

Stamp Duty Exemption

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which electoral wards in (a) Cleethorpes and (b) Great Grimsby constituencies qualify for stamp duty exemption.

Stephen Timms: I have been asked to reply.
	The following wards, as at 7 May 1998, are qualifying areas for stamp duty land tax disadvantaged areas relief.
	Cleethorpes constituency: Park (Cleethorpes) and Croft Baker.
	Great Grimsby constituency: North East, Marsh and South.
	Relief is available for purchases of residential property in qualifying areas where the consideration does not exceed 150,000.

Surplus Assets Sales

Nigel Evans: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the value of sales of surplus assets from his Office was in each year since 200001.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was established on 29 May 2002. The value of the sales of assets is shown in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's published accounts.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Energy Use

Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer of 20 December 2004, Official Report, columns 141718W, on energy use, what target has been set for energy use for financial year 200506; if he will list the members of the Energy Savers group on the parliamentary estate; on what dates this group met; and what the outcome was of each meeting.

Archy Kirkwood: I have written to the hon. Member.

Escalators

Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission what factors have led to the conclusion that escalators on the parliamentary estate should not be set to a motion-activated setting.

Archy Kirkwood: The escalators at Portcullis House are not currently motion-activated for reasons of safety and the high traffic rate during working hours. They are put to manual control outside sitting hours. The escalator to the underground car park remains on motion-activated setting.

Motor Vehicles

Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission how many motor vehicles are owned and operated by the House authorities on the House of Commons estate.

Archy Kirkwood: Two vehicles are owned and operated by the authorities on the House of Commons estate: an electric-powered delivery van owned by the Refreshment Department and a delivery van owned by the Works Services Directorate of the Serjeant at Arms Department.

Parliamentary Estate

Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission how many extra buildings and what additional square feet of office space has been acquired by the parliamentary estate in each year since 1975.

Archy Kirkwood: Acquisitions on the House of Commons part of the parliamentary estate since 1975 are as follows:
	
		
			 Building Year acquired Net internal area (sq m) 
		
		
			 Norman Shaw North 1975 10,940 
			 Norman Shaw South 1977 5,578 
			 1 Canon Row 1987 3,451 
			 1 Parliament Street 1991 9,948 
			 7 Millbank 199294 13,780 
			 Portcullis House 2000 20,694 
		
	
	During that time some property was disposed of.

Water Usage

Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer of 15 December 2004, Official Report, column 1142W, on water usage, what the budget for water economy investments and energy-saving measures have been for each year, in real terms, since 1997, broken down by measure.

Archy Kirkwood: The annual cash budgets for tactical energy saving measures were:
	
		
			  Cash budget () 
		
		
			 199798 50,000 
			 199899 50,000 
			 19992000 25,000 
			 200001 50,000 
			 200102 30,000 
			 200203 30,000 
			 200304 30,000 
			 200405 30,000 
		
	
	The sum is not allocated in advance to specific measures.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Asylum Seekers

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum claims from Burmese citizens are outstanding.

Des Browne: Information on asylum claims outstanding by nationality is unavailable and could be produced only at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case records.
	9,800 cases were awaiting an initial decision at the end of December 2004, the lowest level for more than a decade; of these 5,300 cases were work in progress i.e. the application had been outstanding for six months or less.
	As at 31 December 2004, there were an estimated 5,000 appeals lodged with the Home Office which had not been sent to the Immigration Appellate Authority (IAA); a proportion of appeals lodged do not result in appeal bundles being sent to the IAA. The total asylum work in progress in the IAA as at 31 December 2004 was 21,600 (10,300 at the Adjudicator Tier, 6,200 applications for permission to appeal to the Tribunal, and 5,200 Tribunal Appeals).
	Information on the number of cases awaiting an initial decision or appeal outcome is published quarterly on the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall, North dated 16 February regarding a constituent, ref. M4496/5.

Des Browne: holding answer 22 March 2005
	I wrote to my hon. Friend on 23 March 2005.

Early Release Schemes

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the earliest possible release time is of a prisoner convicted of a standard list offence, assuming eligibility for all of the early release schemes, having been sentenced to (a) four months', (b) six months', (c) 10 months', (d) 12 months', (e) 18 months', (f) 24 months', (g) four years', (h) six years' and (i) eight years' detention.

Paul Goggins: Under the provisions contained in Section 34A of the Criminal Justice Act 1991, eligible prisoners serving sentences of between three months and under four years may be considered for release under the Home Detention Curfew Scheme (HDC). The time the prisoner will spend under curfew is tapered according to the length of sentence. Prisoners must serve a quarter of the sentence in custody subject to a minimum of 30 days before they can be released on HDC. The earliest release dates for eligible prisoners is set out in the following table.
	
		
			 Sentence length Earliest possible point of release 
		
		
			 4 months After having served 30 days in custody 
			 6 months After having served 1  months in custody 
			 10 months After having served 2  months in custody 
			 12 months After having served 3 months in custody 
			 18 months 135 days before the halfway point of sentence 
			 24 months 135 days before the halfway

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the EU the Committee for the Implementation of the Programme of Exchanges, Training and Co-operation Between Law Enforcement Authorities (OISIN) met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The Oisin funding programme expired on 31 December 2002. The Management Committees last met on 23 and 24 July 2002 to agree the successful projects for funding for that final year. They have since been replaced by a single funding programme known as AGIS.
	During the period 1 July 2003 to 31 December 2004 the AGIS Management Committee met three times. On 14 October 2003 it met to discuss the draft annual work programme and call for bids for 2004. On 27 May 2004 it discussed the evaluation of bids for 2004. On 16 September 2004 it met to discuss the draft annual work programme and call for bids for 2005.
	Before each meeting the Home Office conducted preparatory consultations with past bidders, stakeholders, agencies and devolved administrations to discuss the UK's position in the Committee.
	The Committee meetings take place in Brussels. The UK is generally represented at meetings of these Committees by Home Office officials and an official from the UK Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels.
	The composition of the UK delegation is always agreed beforehand and it is possible for Scottish Executive officials to attend meetings of the Committees as part of the British delegation.

Free Passports

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many pensioners aged over 75 years have applied for a free passport.

Des Browne: Since the scheme was announced on 19 May 2004, the United Kingdom Passport Service has issued 114,504 passports free of charge to British nationals born on or before 2 September 1929.

Holocaust Memorial Day

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of Holocaust Memorial Day in helping to teach the lessons of the Holocaust; and what plans he has for future national commemorations of the Holocaust.

Fiona Mactaggart: Home Office quantitative polling research in August 2004 and February 2005 show a significant increase in awareness with 77 per cent. of those interviewed in February 2005 having heard of HMD compared with 53 per cent. in August 2004. 66 per cent. agreed that events like HMD have an important part to play in combating racism and discrimination compared with 51 per cent. in August 2004.
	To give a comparison, in February 2004 a BBC survey revealed only 55 per cent. of the UK's population had ever heard of Auschwitz. A new BBC survey conducted in January 2005 has shown that now 94 per cent. of the population in the UK has heard of Auschwitz. This awareness is not just superficial, with half of the UK population feeling that they now know quite a lot about the Holocaust, compared to only 30 per cent. last year. In establishing HMD the Government wanted to drive up awareness and understanding of the Holocaust. The televised national event in January, preceded by a reception for survivors at St. James's Palace in the presence of Her Majesty The Queen and supported by other media programming about the Holocaust, has succeeded in this aim. Understanding the continuum of hatred and marginalisation that led from racist abuse to mass genocide will help new generations to stand up to anti-Semitism, racism and intolerance.
	The 2005 commemoration provides an excellent basis for the work of the new Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, which will shortly be launched and will assume responsibility for the delivery of HMD from now on.

Immigration Centres

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of physical or racial abuse at the immigration centres were reported to his Department in 2004.

Des Browne: Six alleged cases of physical abuse and 21 alleged cases of racial abuse were reported during 2004. All were investigated and found to be unsubstantiated. Every report or allegation of inappropriate treatment against detainees is reported to the contract monitor and investigated. All allegations of assault or inappropriate use of force, which includes incorrect handcuffing, are also referred to the police as the appropriate authority to investigate such matters.
	As I announced on 8 March 2005, Official Report, column 94WS, there will be an independent inquiry by Stephen Shaw into the allegations contained in the BBC programme Detention Uncovered: the Real Story. As part of this inquiry, Stephen Shaw will be examining the processes in place for investigating reports of physical or racial abuse, and the way these are monitored. Once he has reported back and made recommendations we will be able to consider any implications for the remainder of the detention estate.

Immigration Centres

Peter Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date he expects the arrangements for transferring removal centres from the Prison Service to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate to be completed.

Des Browne: Arrangements are in place to complete the transfer of Dover and Haslar Immigration Removal Centres from the Prison Service to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate by 30 June 2006.

Immigration Centres

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who the members of the senior management of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate are.

Des Browne: I refer my hon. Friend to the Home Office website, where this information is available. It can be found on http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/ind/en/home/about_us/organisational structure.html?

Imprisonment (Non-UK Nationals)

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the procedures followed by his Department in respect of non-UK nationals who are imprisoned for serious offences and who have come to the end of their sentences; and what steps his Department takes to ensure the rapid repatriation of such individuals when that is the appropriate course of action.

Des Browne: Prison Service Order 4630 issued in September 2004 makes it a mandatory requirement for all prisons to notify the Immigration and Nationality Department Criminal Casework Team of all foreign nationals sentenced to a term of imprisonment in order to determine their liability to deportation.
	Those who are convicted of a criminal offence and sentenced to a term of imprisonment are liable to deportation, either if the court makes such a recommendation or if the Secretary of State considers their presence is no longer conducive to the public good. Each case is examined on its merits taking into consider a person's age, length of residency, conduct, ties to the United Kingdom, compassionate circumstances and representations before taking a decision whether to make a deportation order.
	Deportation proceedings are normally initiated 12 months before the earliest point of release, but there is a right of appeal, which will inevitably delay the case. However, where a prisoner waives the right of appeal or the appeal is dismissed, the early removal scheme introduced in the Criminal Justice Act 2003 provides for removal up to 135 days in advance of the conditional release or parole eligibility date, with the exception of a small number of prisoners whose offence is listed in appendix 4 to Prison Service Order 6000.

Money Laundering

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many suspicious activity reports were made to the National Criminal Intelligence Service in connection with suspected money laundering, in (a) each month in 2004 and (b) to date in 2005.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 18 March 2005
	The total number of disclosures on suspected money laundering (commonly known as Suspicious Activity Reports) received by the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) in each month in 2004, and in January and February 2005 is as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 2004  
			 January 8,192 
			 February 10,704 
			 March 12,811 
			 April 12,271 
			 May 12,040 
			 June 14,042 
			 July 14,404 
			 August 12,639 
			 September 13,068 
			 October 12,233 
			 November 14,865 
			 December 17,267 
			   
			 2005  
			 January 14,490 
			 February 13,305

Offenders (Drug Testing)

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of offenders are tested for illicit drugs at the time of arrest; and what proportion of those test positive.

Caroline Flint: Drug testing on arrest is a provision within the Drugs Bill currently before Parliament. The provision builds upon the existing drug testing on charge scheme and will mean that persons who are in police detention having been arrested for a trigger offence (or an offence to which an inspector has reasonable grounds for suspecting that misuse of a specified Class A drug contributed), may be tested earlier than at present. The Drugs Bill also contains provision for those who test positive to be required to attend an assessment of their drug use and related issues. Assessment in this context has previously been voluntary on the part of the arrestee.
	However, the New English and Welsh Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (NEW-ADAM) programme tested a sample of arrestees at 16 custody sites from 19982002. The survey, which was not nationally representative, found that 69 per cent. of arrestees tested positive for any drug and 38 per cent. of arrestees tested positive for opiates and/or cocaine/crack.

Ribble Valley

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to Ribble Valley and Fulwood constituency, the effects of changes to his departmental policy since 1997 on the constituency.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Government have put in place policies in the areas of crime reduction, anti-social behaviour, policing and active communities that are yielding considerable benefits for the Ribble Valley constituency, as well as for all parts of the UK.
	For example, between March 1997 and September 2004, the number of police officers in Lancashire police force increased by 297 from 3,247 to 3,544. The Government's introduction of community support officers (CSOs) in 2002 has put 117 CSOs on Lancashire streets, with funding available to recruit a further 57 by end of March 2005 to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour. Between 1997 and 20034, the Lancashire police force area has seen a reduction in recorded domestic burglary crimes of 41 per cent. and in recorded vehicle crimes of 39 per cent.
	Lancashire police force is receiving 190.8 million in general grants for 200506, an increase of 4.31 per cent. (7.9 million) over 200405. Lancashire police also gains around 0.4 million from the Amending Report for 200304, bringing the overall increase to 4.52 per cent. General grants funding to Lancashire has increased by 29.9 per cent. between 199798 and 200506. In addition to general grants, Lancashire will also receive around 17.4 million in specific grants funding for targeted initiatives and capital provision in 200506. The distribution of resources locally is a matter for the Police Authority and the chief constable.
	As crime prevention requires action across communities, every area has had a local Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) since 1998 which brings together the police, health services, drugs agencies and council and community representatives to decide how to prevent and deter crime and anti-social behaviour.
	The Crime Reduction Programme (CRP) was a pioneering Government intervention programme which ran for three years from April 1999 in England and Wales and took an evidence-based approach to crime reduction. Grants of over 340 million were allocated to over 1,470 projects, including CCTV, under 20 initiatives that formed part of the programme. One CCTV project in the Ribble Valley CDRP area received a total of 572,151 from the CRP.
	Since 2001, successive initiatives have provided direct funding to each of the 376 Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships in England and Wales. These initiatives include communities against drugs, the safer communities initiative, the small retailers in deprived areas scheme and the building safer communities fund. Since 2001, a total of 298,794 has been allocated to Ribble Valley CDRP under these initiatives. A further 2.32 million has been provided over the two years 200304 and 200405 to the Home Office regional director in the north west for CDRP capacity building across the region.
	It is estimated that out of a million active offenders, 100,000 have three or more convictions and are responsible for half of all crime. There is a prolific and other priority offenders (PPO) scheme in Ribble Valley set up to target those offenders who cause a disproportionate amount of crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour in the community.
	The Government's crime reduction website provides further information on the work being done to reduce crime across the country, including information about action and results in local areas. It is available at http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk.
	New legislation has given local agencies a raft of powers, from antisocial behaviour orders to local dispersal orders and crack house closure powers, to work with local people to tackle anti-social behaviour and nuisance. In Ribble Valley a total of 10 antisocial behaviour orders have been issued as of 17 March 2005. Local contacts for tackling anti-social behaviour can be found on http://www.together.gov.uk/authority.asp.
	Tackling drug misuse is a priority of this Government and their policy is set out in the 10-year National Drug Strategy launched in 1998 and updated in December 2002. (A copy of the Updated Drug Strategy 2002 is held in the House Library.) Under this, the Government have invested substantially in measures to reduce the harms caused by illegal drugs, focussing on the four strands of:
	reducing the supply of illegal drugs;
	preventing young people from becoming problematic drug users;
	providing effective treatment to all who need it; and
	reducing drug-related crime.
	Direct annual funding nationally to tackle drug misuse amounted to 1,244 million in 200304, rising to 1,344 million in 200405. Lancashire has seen a significant increase in direct funding for tackling drugs, in particular for drug treatment services and the throughcare and aftercare elements of the Drug Interventions Programme. In 200304 the allocation for Lancashire drug action team amounted to 5.47 million, rising to 7.61 million in 200405. Details of action taken to tackle drugs in the Ribble Valley constituency can be obtained from the Lancashire drugs action team, for contact details see http://www.drugs.gov.uk/Links/DrugActionTeams .
	The Government are working to ensure that citizens, communities and the voluntary sector are more fully engaged in tackling social problems, and there is more equality of opportunity and respect for people of all races and religions. Active community participation in England has increased by 1.5 million people between 2001 and 2003. Charities have been supported more effectively, and 125 million is being invested across the country through the futurebuilders fund in voluntary and community organisations that help provide valuable public services. Advice on ways to engage local people in helping their communities is available on the Active Citizenship Centre website http://www.active-citizen.org.uk.
	The Home Office has funded a Time Limited Development Fund (TLDF) project in the Ribble Valley, the Trinity Community Partnership (Clitheroe) Ltd. They were awarded 113,930 for three years (the project finishes 31 March 2005). The project has recruited, trained and developed mentors for young people, particularly for those excluded or in danger of being excluded from school or on the periphery of offending, and has encouraged young people to take up volunteering.
	This year, 2005, is the year of the volunteer which is being delivered by the Home Office in partnership with community service volunteers and Volunteering England. This will include a whole range of events in local communities across the country that aim to celebrate the contribution which volunteers make to the quality of people's lives, and encourage more people to volunteer.
	We are particularly keen to encourage young people, black and minority ethnic groups, those with no qualifications and disabled people to get involved. More details can be found at www.yearofthevolunteer.org .
	Detailed information on the impact of Home Office policies across the full range of responsibilities is set out in the Home Office Annual Report and in the Strategic Plan for 200408, available on the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Art Galleries

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many publicly-funded art galleries there are in England; and how many are open to the public.

Estelle Morris: There are 94 art galleries in England that receive public funding directly from Arts Council England (ACE) or my Department.
	ACE directly funds 91 art galleries and DCMS sponsors three major national art galleries: the National Gallery; the National Portrait Gallery; and the Tate. In addition, two of the national museums we sponsor, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Wallace Collection, hold substantial art collections.
	All are open to the public.
	Many art galleries and museums also receive public funds through their involvement in programmes such as Renaissance and Creative Partnerships, or from their local authority.

Civil Servants (Relocation)

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many civil servants in her Department have (a) been relocated and (b) been agreed for relocation in the last 12 months; and to which areas of the United Kingdom.

Richard Caborn: There have been no civil servants from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport who have (a) been relocated or (b) been agreed for relocation in the last 12 months.

Departmental Budget

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the most recent figures are for her Department's budget (a) in 200506 and (b) in each year for which projections have been made, broken down by budget sub-head.

Richard Caborn: The information is not yet readily available in the form requested by my hon. Friend.
	I have therefore set out as follows the summary details of the resource budget allocations to the Department's sectors arising from the Spending Review. The information requested will be available in the Department's Annual Report which is expected to be published at the end of April.
	
		DCMS allocations from the 2004 Spending Review
		
			 000 
			 Resource 200405 200506 200607 200708 
		
		
			 Museums, Galleries and Libraries 549,188 578,115 596,115 620,115 
			 Of which: 
			 Museums and Galleries 384,883 400,126 415,605 423,400 
			 Renaissance 20,000 30,000 32,000 45,000 
			 British Library 120,768 124,751 127,493 129,295 
			  
			 Arts 367,921 412,996 412,996 412,996 
			 Of which: 
			 Arts Council 367,155 412,155 412,155 412,155 
			 Heritage (including Royal Parks) 179,578 180,858 182,358 188,858 
			 Of which: 
			 English Heritage 121,355 123,836 125,336 126,336 
			 National Heritage Memorial Fund5,000 
			 Quality and Innovation fund for Culture 0 0 0 6,000 
			  
			 Tourism 54,143 54,614 55,614 55,614 
			 Of which: 
			 VisitBritain 48,580 49,051 50,051 50,051 
			  
			  
			 Gambling 3,478 2,684 2,684 2,684 
			 Of which: 
			 Gaming Board 3,478 2,684 2,684 2,684 
			  
			 Broadcasting and CI 123,660 123,151 123,151 123,751 
			 Of which: 
			 Film Council UK 24,154 23,545 23,545 23,545 
			  
			 Sport 120,643 123,912 151,412 156,912 
			 Of which: 
			 Sport England 81,118 87,616 87,616 87,616 
			 UK Sport 27,738 29,532 29,532 29,532 
			 Football Licensing Authority 1,128 1,264 1,264 1,264 
			 Other Sport   27,500 33,000 
			  
			 Total allocations 1,398,611 1,476,330 1,524,330 1,566,930

London 2012

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether it is her policy that new sports facilities built in London should support the London 2012 bid.

Tessa Jowell: The plans for the London 2012 Olympic venues have been developed in close co-operation with sports bodies to ensure that, if the bid is successful, facilities meet the needs of sports in the capital and around the country for many years to come.
	On 16 March, Sport England launched Active Places Power, which has been designed to help local authorities and sports organisations to identify gaps in provision and to form strategies for sports facility investment. This will be particularly important if London stages the 2012 Olympic games, in order to plan for new training venues around the country.
	At present, the UK does not have adequate training facilities for domestic or visiting athletes and the new Lee Valley athletics centre, at Pickett's Lock, is just one example of a facility that will help to meet this shortfall, thus complimenting the proposed Olympic venue competition provision.

London 2012

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what criteria were used in making the decision to locate the new athletics facility for London announced on 21 March at Pickett's Lock rather than the proposed site for London 2012.

Tessa Jowell: The decision to locate a new athletics centre in the Lee Valley, at Pickett's Lock, was taken in 2002 by UK Athletics following a detailed site selection exercise. The overall selection criteria included: site compatibility; lottery funding criteria; capital viability; revenue viability; deliverability and readiness; location; planning permission; transportation; regeneration and other miscellaneous issues in relation to support for elite athletes.
	The Lee Valley athletics centre will be completed in 2006 and is part of UK Athletics' London wide strategy to have a synthetic outdoor track in every London borough, supported by a range of indoor centres across London.
	At present, the UK does not have adequate training facilities for domestic or visiting athletes and the Lee Valley athletics centre will help to meet this shortfall, thus complimenting the proposed Olympic venue competition provision.

Sports Funding

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what Sport England's policy is on sports' national governing bodies discussing reductions in their funding with the media.

Richard Caborn: Sport England announced its four-year funding for 32 National Governing Bodies of Sport on 1 February 2005. All Governing Bodies were informed of these decisions prior to the publication of the funding media release on the Sport England website. Substantial press coverage followed the announcement, with both increases and decreases in funding widely covered. The Governing Bodies were at full liberty to discuss their funding with key internal and external audiences. Sport England has not changednor does it intend to changethis policy of open discussion.

UK Sport

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the new Chair of UK Sport was the candidate recommended by the interview panel.

Tessa Jowell: In accordance with the Code of Practice of the Commissioner for Public Appointments, the panel offered Ministers a choice of candidates judged to be suitable against the established selection criteria.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Anti-corruption

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the value was of business supported by the Export Credits Guarantee Department for Rolls-Royce under interim anti-bribery and corruption arrangements between May and November 2004.

Douglas Alexander: Zero.

Anti-corruption

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the value was of business supported by the Export Credits Guarantee Department for BAE Systems under interim anti-bribery and corruption arrangements between May and November 2004.

Douglas Alexander: 750 million.

Anti-corruption

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what changes there have been in the rules in respect of bribery and corruption in contracts involving UK businesses in recent months; and if she will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: ECGD introduced new anti-bribery and corruption procedures in May 2004. Revised procedures came into force on 1 December 2004, which took account of concerns expressed by customers and their representative trade associations about the workability of some aspects of the procedures.
	On 18 March 2005, the Export Credits Guarantee Department launched a consultation on the changes to its anti-bribery and corruption procedures introduced in
	December 2004. Details of this can be found on its website at www.ecgd.gov.uk

Arms Sales (Indonesia)

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  on what date the Export Credits Guarantee Department was informed of the decisions by Alvis to use Mrs. Siti Rakhmana as an agent in connection with the sale of Scorpion and Stormer vehicles to Indonesia, supported by the Export Credits Guarantee Department;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2005, Official Report, column 1786W, on arms sales (Indonesia), what the name was of the agent that the Export Credits Guarantee Department were aware Alvis had employed in relation to the sale of Scorpion and Stormer vehicles to Indonesia;
	(3)  on what date the Export Credits Guarantee Department was made aware that Alvis had employed an agent in relation to the sale of Scorpion and Stormer vehicles to Indonesia.

Douglas Alexander: holding answer 24 February 2005
	ECGD was informed by Alvis as part of the application process that at least one agent would be employed in connection with contracts to export Scorpion and Stormer vehicles to Indonesia. The original applications were dated June 1994 and March 1995. At that time, ECGD's application process did not require customers to disclose the names of agents to be employed. ECGD has not been informed subsequently by Alvis (or the BAE Systems group) of the name of any agent that was employed.

Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her Department's assessment is of the environmental sustainability of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline.

Douglas Alexander: ECGD, with the assistance of independent environmental and technical consultants, carried out a rigorous assessment of the environmental, social and human rights impacts and financial and project risks of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline project before making its decision on support. Its conclusion was that the environmental, social and human rights impacts of the project had been properly and sufficiently addressed and that the project, as specified, complied in all material respects with relevant guidelines and standards. ECGD's decision to provide support was announced to the House on 17 December 2003, Official Report, column 138WS, and a note of its decision placed in the Libraries of the House and on the ECGD website on the same day.
	ECGD receives regular reports from the project company and from independent consultants that are monitoring the implementation of the project on behalf of all members of the Lender Group. As a result of these reports, ECGD continues to believe that the project is environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.

Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether breaches of the World Bank's involuntary resettlement policy (OD 4.30) constitute breaches of the project agreements for the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline.

Douglas Alexander: A breach of the World Bank involuntary resettlement policy (OD 4.30) would represent a breach of the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) loan agreement for the project if it were considered to have a material effect on the project. Breaches not rectified within a reasonable period, in accordance with the project's Environment and Social Action Plan and the ECGD loan agreement, would constitute an incident for which an event of default could be called.
	A Social and Resettlement Action Plan (SRAP) Monitoring Panel, made up of international resettlement and social development experts, has been monitoring the implementation of the Resettlement Action Plan, including the expropriation of land for the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline project. The SRAP panel's reports are sent to the lender group and are also published on the project website at: www.caspiandevelopmentandexport.com.

Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what audits of record-keeping have been carried out by her Department on (a) quality control and (b) health and safety on the Turkey section of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline.

Douglas Alexander: None.
	WorleyParsons and D'Appolonia, independent expert consultants acting on behalf of ECGD and the other lenders to the ETC project, directly monitor and report to the lenders on quality control and health and safety issues.

Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  when the Export Credits Guarantee Department was supplied with a copy of Trevor Osborne's 18 June 2004 report on the field assessment of coating damage to the Georgian pipeline; and when she first read the report;
	(2)  when the Export Credits Guarantee Department first received the results of ShawCor tests on the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline;
	(3)  when the Export Credits Guarantee Department first received the results of the BP-commissioned Advantica Laboratory tests on SPC 2888 used on the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline.

Douglas Alexander: The Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) has not seen these reports.
	ECGD, and the other members of the lender group, rely on the expert analysis of independent consultants who monitor compliance with appropriate standards and provide ECGD with regular progress reports. Although they may take account of relevant reports produced by interested parties which are brought to their attention, with the exception of some of the Advantica laboratory tests, the independent consultants have not seen these particular reports.

Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessments of alternative anti-corrosion systems were requested by the Export Credits Guarantee Department prior to the selection of SPC 2888 for the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline.

Douglas Alexander: None.
	ECGD and the other members of the lender group receive advice from independent consultants on the technical aspects of the project.
	The role of the independent consultants was not to re-design the project, nor to seek alternatives, but to confirm that aspects of the pipeline, including SPC 2888, were fit for purpose. As it was content that this was the case, it was not obliged to request assessments of alternatives.

Business Support (Hartlepool)

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the (a) financial and (b) other assistance, excluding regional development agency grants, her Department has given to businesses in Hartlepool since 1997.

Nigel Griffiths: Total Core funding of 5.79 million since April 2001 provided to Business Link Tees Valley (BLTV), has laid the foundation on which they have sourced additional funding projected at 20.5 million for the benefit of businesses in Tees Valley, up to 31 March 2005. Such funding and the creation of partnership working allowed the following to be delivered within Tees Valley:
	355 businesses have been helped to start.
	957 established businesses have been helped to increase their productivity through BLTV's impartial brokerage service. These interventions have introduced a range of DTI funded as well as other public and private sector services such as subsidised consultancy (ERDF), training services (TEC/LSC), research and business information etc.
	Since April 2003, 768 individuals have been actively helped to develop their business ideas, with interest in enterprise being encouraged in all areas of Hartlepool's community from college students, women entrepreneurs and members of ethnic minority communities, through to disadvantaged wards.
	DTI Enterprise Grant Scheme
	Figures for the enterprise grant scheme before 1 April 2002 are not available, and this scheme transferred to RDA's on 1 April 2004. Between 1 April 2002 and 31 March 2004, six firms in Hartlepool were granted a total of 112,515.
	DTI Small Merit Awards for Research and Technology (SMART)
	Figures for the SMART Scheme before 1 April 2002 are not available., Between 1 April 2002 and 31 March 2004, two firms in Hartlepool were granted a total of 73,488 under this scheme.
	Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme
	The following table lists the number of loans and the value of guarantees issued to small businesses in the Hartlepool post code area since 1997.
	
		
			  Value () 
		
		
			 199798 55,000 
			 199899 27,500 
			 19992000 0 
			 200001 0 
			 200102 0 
			 200203 0 
			 200304 253,000 
			 Total 335,500 
		
	
	International trade
	DTI has also provided funding through its Passport Companies Programme since 2000. This programme, delivered through UKTI provides individual companies with up to 3,000 to assist them to access export markets. We are unable to provide specific figures for Hartlepool at this time.

Businesses (Edinburgh)

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps the Government has taken to help small businesses in Edinburgh, North and Leith since 1997.

Anne McGuire: I have been asked to reply.
	Since 1997 the Government have built a platform of economic stability which allows all businesses, small and large, to thrive. Businesses in Edinburgh North and Leith, and throughout the UK generally, are benefiting from low inflation, low interest rates and sound public finances. Furthermore, the UK now has the lowest ever corporation tax rates for small businesses and the lowest starting rate among major industrialised countries. Other initiatives introduced since 1997 have included the introduction and improvement of R and D tax credits, the reform of capital gains tax and steps to reduce the regulatory burden for business. Further support is delivered through the Scottish Executive and its various agencies.

Businesses (Edinburgh)

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many new businesses have been established in Edinburgh, North and Leith since 1997.

Anne McGuire: I have been asked to reply.
	The precise information requested is not available. However, data from the Committee of Scottish Clearing Bankers (CSCB) show that there have been 1,767 new business accounts opened in Edinburgh North and Leith since 2002.

Clothing Exports (Tariffs)

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the total revenue from tariffs imposed on clothing exports from developing countries in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by country.

Douglas Alexander: None.
	The data required to make an accurate estimate of tariff revenues collected by the European Community are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Constitutional Treaty

John Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues regarding provision of freepost by the Royal Mail during the proposed referendum on the Constitutional Treaty for the European Union.

Douglas Alexander: None.

Defender Sale

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether her Department gave written permission allowing the sale of the Fast Patrol Vessel Defender to go ahead.

Douglas Alexander: The Department did not give written permission allowing the sale of the Fast Patrol Vessel Defender to go ahead.

DTI/EU Co-operation

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions her Department has had with the European Commission on the supporting, co-ordinating and complementary action which may be taken by the EU with regard to industry under article I-17 of the proposed EU constitution.

Douglas Alexander: None. The Treaty has not yet been ratified by the United Kingdom and several other member states and is therefore not yet in force.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the EU the Advisory Committee for co-ordination in the internal market field met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if she will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The Internal Market Advisory Committee has had three meetings of member states' internal market directors general and the Commission over the period of the Italian, Irish and Dutch presidencies of the EU. The UK was represented at these meetings by Ms Jo Durning, Director of Europe, Europe and World Trade Directorate in DTI. The following table outlines when and where the Internal Market Advisory Committee meetings took place.
	
		
			  Location 
		
		
			 18 November 2003 Brussels 
			 7 May 2004 Brussels 
			 19 November 2004 Brussels

Exhibitions and Seminars Abroad Scheme

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what role the Support for Exhibitions and Seminars Abroad scheme plays in providing (a) practical and (b) financial assistance for developing global sales.

Douglas Alexander: The Support for Exhibitions and Seminars Abroad scheme (SESA) provides grants to SMEs seeking to participate in overseas trade fairs or sectoral missions. The key purpose of SESA support is to help less experienced businesses to identify opportunities and deal with low-level commercial risk in investigating export markets. The scheme also supports seminars which promote UK sectoral capabilities to overseas business people and opinion formers.

Gas Appliances

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to protect consumers from the fitting of faulty gas appliances.

Jane Kennedy: I have been asked to reply.
	Gas safety legislation places duties on those installing gas appliances, whether new or used, to ensure that they can be used without risk. Anyone installing a gas appliance must be competent to do so and all gas installation businesses must be registered with the Council for Registered Gas Installers (CORGI).
	Additionally, most landlords have duties to ensure that gas appliances they provide are installed by a CORGI registered business, that they are maintained in a safe condition and receive annual gas safety checks.
	HSE has published multi-lingual leaflets for landlords, tenants and consumers that provide advice about the safe installation and use of gas appliances.

Gas Appliances

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what guidance she has issued to the gas supply industry on steps to reduce the level of deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning in the home.

Jane Kennedy: I have been asked to reply.
	HSE has issued guidance to gas suppliers on their duties under gas safety legislation. HSE also regularly meets with gas suppliers in their capacity as key stakeholders in securing continuing consumer safety through publicity and advice about the risks from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Newcastle-under-Lyme

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps the Government have taken to help small businesses in Newcastle-under-Lyme since 1997.

Nigel Griffiths: holding answer 23 March 2005
	The Government, via the local Business Link and Advantage West Midlands have provided significant support to small businesses in both Newcastle-under-Lyme and the whole of Staffordshire.
	Wide-ranging support has been delivered via the local Business Link operator and the Regional Development Agency, Advantage West Midlands (AWM). Core funding from the Small Business Service (SBS) to Business Link Staffordshire has totalled approximately 2.8 million per annum for each operational year since April 2001. Additional funding at least equal to that amount has been sourced from local and regional partners and ERDF as a direct result of that core funding. Whilst that funding covers the whole of the county of Staffordshire, Business Link has been pro-active in its work with companies based in Newcastle-under-Lyme.
	There are a total of 3,170 businesses based in the Newcastle-under-Lyme district. These businesses are able to access a wide range of business support services. These range from basic business information through to long-term, in-depth support project that assist companies to diversify into new product areas or to capitalise on new market opportunities.
	Businesses are able to benefit from a range of Workforce Development services to help them achieve the Investor's in People (IIP) standard and develop their workforce. Subsidised workshops are available to assist businesses to become IIP accredited, and to maintain that accreditation once they have secured it. In total, companies are able to access up to 1,000 financial support to assist them along their journey to Investors in People recognition.
	The new Director Development Programme is also able to assist businesses that are seeking to grow and develop by enhancing and developing the skills of the directors within the business. Individual training plans are agreed with directors to encourage them to develop their business skills in order to enhance the profitability and long-term success of the businesses they are responsible for.
	Business Link Staffordshire has worked with over 1,650 businesses in Newcastle-under-Lyme since April 2001, a total of 52 per cent. of the overall business population. Some of those companies have been assisted to diversify into new products and markets to secure their ongoing viability. Other businesses in the area have been assisted with the implementation of e-commerce to ensure that in today's modern society they are able to respond to customer demand for online ordering.
	4 per cent. of the total number of businesses the Business Link have worked with (140) have received intensive assistance to enable those SME's to implement improvements to specific business practices.
	With support from the DTI and AWM the Rover Task Force has supported more than 160 Staffordshire companies in the automotive supply chain to diversify and to help start ups with high growth potential to establish themselves, 16 of which are based in Newcastle-under-Lyme. The regional Accelerate programme which helps manufacturing companies modernise themselves has also provided specific assistance to three companies in Newcastle-under-Lyme. The Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) a DTI and AWM funded initiative has supported 150 companies in the Newcastle-under-Lyme and immediately surrounding area. With 65 companies having received in depth support.
	A key area of concern in Newcastle-under-Lyme is the rate of new business formation. Business Link Staffordshire has assisted over 150 entrepreneurs to establish new businesses within the constituency. Those businesses are assisted for a period of two years to ensure they are capable of surviving in the long term. Our business start up survival rate after 12 months is 92 per cent. which reflects the depth and quality of business advice those start up businesses receive. Each start up business must produce a comprehensive business plan that is then reviewed by an experienced business advisor. Having reviewed the plan, goals are established with the entrepreneur which are then reviewed at regular intervals. Any variation from those goals is then explored in detail with the entrepreneur and where appropriate, action plans are developed to help them get back on track.
	The availability of suitable premises has also been an issue in Newcastle-under-Lyme and through working closely with partners, including the Business Innovation Centre, a range of specific support has been made available. First, a number of incubator and business starter units, managed by the Business Innovation Centre, have been developed by Staffordshire county council, bringing brownfield sites back into effective use. Those businesses have often qualified for grant assistance of up to 3,000 to develop innovative products.
	Business Link Staffordshire has worked closely with the north Staffordshire regeneration zone and other relevant local bodies, including Keele and Staffordshire university to ensure that businesses have been able to benefit from other services, including STEP and knowledge transfer placements. The emerging science park at Keele university has benefited from a dedicated medical technologies adviser to assist businesses within that cluster to establish themselves on the park and become successful.
	Since 1997 Advantage West Midlands and it's predecessors responsible for delivery have offered Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) and Selective Finance for Investment (SFI) grants to 10 companies in Newcastle-Under-Lyme totalling 7.8 million. Take up of the grants offered has been 560,000 to two companies. It is expected that over the coming months a further five companies will receive grant support totalling 850,000. The discrepancy between grant offered and take up is largely due to the 5 million project with S and A Food not proceeding.
	The SBS via it's SMART and Grant for Research and Development product has provided offers of grant totalling 611,000 to support 14 companies in Staffordshire (one of which is based in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Faraday Technology 114,000 to develop new products and bring them to market.
	The North Staffordshire Risk Capital Fund is available to businesses in the Newcastle-under-Lyme area, encouraging businesses to consider appropriate long-term finance rather than short term overdrafts. This is a relatively new initiative that will be on benefit to companies in the long-term.
	Business Link Staffordshire has also provided funding for the Minority Business Association in north Staffordshire to ensure that businesses operated by people from ethnic minority backgrounds are not disadvantaged in any way. The MBA has been proactive in its work in Newcastleunder-Lyme.

Newcastle-under-Lyme

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many businesses have benefited from regional selective assistance in Newcastle-under-Lyme since 1997.

Douglas Alexander: holding answer 23 March 2005
	I have asked the Chief Executive of Advantage West Midlands to write to my hon. Friend: a copy of that letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Newcastle-under-Lyme

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many new businesses have (a) started up in and (b) relocated to Newcastle-under-Lyme since 1997.

Nigel Griffiths: holding answer 23 March 2005
	Figures for the number of firms that have relocated are not available for Newcastle-under-Lyme, or for any other area.
	Barclays bank's survey of business creation includes non-VAT registered firms and shows that there were 5,500 business start-ups in Staffordshire county (which contains the local authority of Newcastle-under-Lyme) in 2003 and a further 5,000 in the first nine months of 2004. This represents an increase of 16 per cent. on the first nine months of 2003.
	Data are not available for Newcastle-under-Lyme local authority. Business start-up data for counties are not available for before 2003.
	Barclays data show that there were 445,000 (revised) business start-ups in England and Wales in 2003, a 16 per cent. increase on the year before. A further 396,000 businesses started up in England and Wales in the first nine months of 2004. This represents an increase of 14 per cent. on the first nine months of 2003. Barclays do not publish data on the number of businesses that have relocated.
	DTI figures based solely on VAT registrations for Newcastle-under-Lyme local authority are shown as follows for 1997 to 2003. Data for 2004 will be available in autumn 2005.
	
		Newcastle-under-Lyme
		
			  VAT registrations 
		
		
			 1997 325 
			 1998 340 
			 1999 355 
			 2000 280 
			 2001 315 
			 2002 250 
			 2003 275 
		
	
	Source:
	Business Start-ups and Closures: VAT Registrations and De-registrations 19942003, Small Business Service, available from the Library of the House and also at: http://www.sbs.gov.uk/analytical/statistics/vatstats.php
	VAT registrations do not capture all start-up activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if they fall below the compulsory VAT threshold, which has risen in each year since 1997. Only 1.8 million out of 4 million enterprises were registered for VAT at the start of 2003.

Plutonium

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consultations her Department has had with outside organisations about the best way to dispose of plutonium waste.

Mike O'Brien: The Department has had discussions with a range of organisations, including the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) which is responsible for advising the Government on the long-term management of the UK's higher activity radioactive waste, including any plutonium that comes to be regarded as waste. CoRWM is due to report its recommendations in 2006.

Plutonium

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans her Department has for dealing with the plutonium stockpile; and if she will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: Future options for the management of the plutonium stockpile are kept under constant review and I welcome the work recently undertaken by the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology and the BNFL stakeholder dialogue working group on plutonium management.
	The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) will become the owner of UK's plutonium stockpile as of 1 April 2005. In the meantime the storage of plutonium in the UK continues to be managed in strict accordance with international requirements and has been updated post 9/11. UK plutonium will remain in protective storage pending decisions on whether to immobilise it as a waste or to use it as fuel.

Plutonium

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much her Department has allocated to security measures to protect (a) nuclear power stations and (b) plutonium stores in each of the last five years; what budget has been allocated for each of the next five years; and if she will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: It is the operators of the licensed civil nuclear sites that pay for the security measures to protect these sites, not the Department of Trade and Industry. The security arrangements are regulated by the Office for Civil Nuclear Security (OCNS). OCNS approves the security measures in place and monitors compliance with these security plans.

Private Finance Initiative

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many private finance initiative and public private partnership contracts with her Department have been won by subsidiaries of Halliburton in each year from 1997; what the terms were of each contract; and if she will make a statement.

Nigel Griffiths: DTI officials are not aware of any PFI/PPP contracts between the Department and subsidiaries of Halliburton.

Road Safety

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what meetings her Department has recently held to discuss road safety issues in respect of vehicle use and construction regulations, with particular reference to the recall by Volkswagen of vehicles because of problems with outer drive shafts; and if she will make a statement.

David Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.
	The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) is responsible for supervising and monitoring vehicle recalls. VOSA's vehicle safety branch holds regular discussions with all vehicle and automotive part manufacturers, including Volkswagen, on issues of vehicle and component safety. Neither VOSA nor Volkswagen are aware of a drive shaft recall.

Sheffield Europe Week

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much her Department spent sponsoring Sheffield Europe Week; from which budget within her Department this cost was met; and what unit was responsible for this project.

Douglas Alexander: United Kingdom Trade and Investment (UKTI), whose parent Departments are the Department of Trade and Industry and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, did not provide direct financial support to the Sheffield in Europe Week programme of events, which ran from 25 February to 6 March 2005. The UKTI regional team for Yorkshire and Humberside did endorse some of the events by agreeing to the use of the UKTI brand. UKTI endorsement was considered worthwhile in order to promote language training in the region through the Regional Language Network and to help foster an understanding of how different cultures and the European Union impact on businesses and international trade.

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

Ben Chapman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many small and medium-sized enterprises were established (a) between 1997 and 2001 and (b) since 2001.

Nigel Griffiths: Barclays Bank's latest survey of business creation includes non-VAT registered firms and shows that there were 453,000 business start-ups in England and Wales in 2004, the highest since the survey began in 1998.
	Barclays data show that there were 1,554,000 business start-ups in total in England and Wales in the years 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000 combined. There were 1,606,000 business start-ups in total in England and Wales in the years 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 combined.
	DTI figures show there were 728,755 VAT registrations in total in the UK in the years 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000 combined. There were 534,035 VAT registrations in total the UK in the years 2001, 2002 and 2003 combined. Data for 2004 will be available in autumn 2005.
	Data on VAT registrations are available in the publication Business Start-ups and Closures: VAT Registrations and De-registrations 19942003, available from the Library of the House and also at http://www.sbs.gov.uk/analytical/statistics/vatstats.php.
	VAT registrations do not capture all start-up activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if they fall below the compulsory VAT threshold, which has risen in each year since 1997. Only 1.8 million out of 4 million enterprises were registered for VAT at the start of 2003.
	Both Barclays and VAT registration data include enterprises of all sizes. However, 99.8 per cent. of enterprises are small or medium-sized.

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the contribution made by small and medium-sized enterprises to the UK economy, with particular reference to the level of exports; and what steps her Department takes to assist small and medium-sized enterprises which rely on exports.

Nigel Griffiths: The business success of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) underpins our national prosperity. At the start of 2003, the 4 million SMEs in the UK represented 99.8 per cent. of all businesses and contributed some 52.4 per cent. of all private sector turnover (excluding finance sector). Some 16 per cent. of UK SMEs are exporters. Through their international trade activity, these SMEs help to strengthen the existing drivers of UK productivityinnovation and competition; thus contributing to the UK's overall competitiveness.
	Through UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), the Government deliver a range of support services to help SMEs win business overseas. Details of the assistance available is set out on UKTI's corporate website www.uktradeinvest.gov.uk.

UK Trade and Investment

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will announce the proposed changes to (a) the structure and staffing and (b) the focus of UK Trade and Investment; when these changes are to take effect; and if she will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The structure and staffing of the organisation has to be determined in the light of UKTI's future strategy and its focus, as set out in UKTI's Corporate Plan 200407, and the financial and manpower resources available following the SR2004 settlement.
	UK Trade and Investment's future strategy is set out in its Corporate Plan 200407, available at www.uktradeinvest.gov.ukhttp://www.uktradeinvest.gov.uk. Details of the settlement are set out in the Efficiency Technical Note for UK Trade and Investment, also available at www.uktradeinvest.gov.ukhttp://www.uktradeinvest.gov.uk

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Bermuda

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what steps he has taken to assist in tackling money laundering in Bermuda;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with the Bermudan Monetary Authority on money laundering.

Bill Rammell: The UK discusses money-laundering with the Bermudan Monetary Authority (BMA) mainly through our joint participation in the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATFthe regional body for anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing in the Caribbean and Central America).
	The UK has provided training to Bermudan officials and law enforcement officers both directly through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office-funded Regional Financial Services Adviser and indirectly through the Caribbean Anti-Money Laundering Programme (which we support financially). A senior staff member of the BMA also recently worked on secondment for two years with the UK Financial Services Authority.

Bolivia

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of (a) the prospects for regional autonomy in Bolivia's provinces and (b) the impact of such autonomy on the country's long-term territorial integrity.

Douglas Alexander: We understand that a referendum on regional autonomy and the election of departmental prefects may take place later in the year. We hope this will strengthen national cohesion.

Bolivia

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of recent political instability in Bolivia; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: We are following closely political developments in Bolivia. We hope that all concerned in Bolivia will work constructively to find lasting solutions to the challenges facing the country within a democratic and constitutional framework.

Burma

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what political progress in Burma would be required to enable the UK Government to attend EU-ASEAN meetings chaired by Burma in 200607.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Redcar (Vera Baird) on 22 March 2005, Official Report, columns 79798W.

Burma

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations for the inclusion of the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise within investment sanctions provisions under the EU common position on Burma.

Douglas Alexander: The UK led EU efforts in October 2004 to strengthen the measures in the common position in light of the political situation in Burma.
	All aspects of the common position have to be agreed by all 25 member states. There is no consensus at present for the inclusion of Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise.

Burma

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from Burmese citizens in the UK about having to pay a percentage of their income to the Burmese embassy in London.

Douglas Alexander: None.

Burma

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of whether German manufactured motor engines have been used in Ukrainian armoured personnel carriers supplied to Burma.

Douglas Alexander: We are not aware of this and have therefore not made any assessment. However, we and our EU partners have raised our concerns with the Ukrainian authorities about the provision of military items to Burma. Although Ukraine is not party to the arms embargo that forms part of the EU common position on Burma, we will continue to make them aware of our position and encourage them to align themselves with it.

China

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of China's anti-secession law; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: Anti-secession legislation, passed by China's National People's Congress, on 14 March, is largely a codification of China's long-held position regarding Taiwan. The impact of the legislation will depend on the reaction of others and how China seeks to apply it.
	Although China has stressed its desire for a peaceful resolution of the issue, we are concerned that the legislation makes reference to the possibility of the use of non-peaceful means. We are strongly opposed to the use of force.
	We and others in the international community remain concerned about regional stability. We continue to appeal to both sides to avoid unilateral measures which might heighten tensions.
	Our view is still that the Taiwan question should be settled peacefully through negotiation between the people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits. We believe that the continuation of dialogue over practical measures and the search for pragmatic solutions to differences will bring benefits to both sides and contribute towards a peaceful resolution of the issue.

Death Penalty

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Government made to the recent round table conference on the death penalty held in Zagreb.

Denis MacShane: The UK was not represented at this round table conference and did not make any representations to it.

Departmental Budget

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the planned (a) capital and (b) resource budget for his Department is for 201112.

Douglas Alexander: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not have a financial plan for 201112. Budgets from the most recent spending round cover the period up to financial year 200708.

Diplomatic Posts

John Wilkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British diplomatic posts were (a) gained and (b) lost during calendar year 2004 to the personnel establishments of UK Missions in (i) Council of Europe member states including international bodies of which the UK is a member located in Europe, (ii) Africa and (iii) Latin America including Belize and the Dominican Republic.

Douglas Alexander: holding answer 24 February 2005
	The introduction of a new IT system means that information is not available from the start of calendar year 2004. New data from this system are also not completely comparable with the previous arrangement.
	Subject to this caveat, the changes in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's personnel establishments between October 2003 and December 2004 in the areas in question were as follows:
	(i) Council of Europe member states including international bodies of which the UK is a member located in Europe. Plus 25.
	(ii) Africa. Plus 67.
	(iii) Latin America including Belize and the Dominican republic. Plus 8.

Eritrea

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what representations he has made to the Eritrean Government concerning the arrest of (a) Roman Catholics in Asmara on 9 January, (b) evangelical Christians on 9 January, (c) members of the Kale Hiwot church on 9 January, (d) evangelical Christians on 21 January and (e) Orthodox priests in November 2004;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the extent of persecutions of officially allowed denominations in Eritrea;
	(3)  what representations he has made to the Eritrean Government concerning (a) reports of a task force appointed by the Eritrean Government to persecute Pentecostal and Evangelical Christians, (b) the arrest of Christian women on 12 February, (c) the arrest of Professor Senere Zaid on 3 February, (d) the arrest of members of the Kale Hiwot Church in di-Tekelzan on 4 February and (e) the reported intimidation and harassment of those renting their premises to Christians from forbidden denominations.

Chris Mullin: We remain concerned at reports of the arrest and detention of members of all religious groups in Eritrea.
	We raise these concerns with the Eritrean Government regularly and were able to raise these recent reports with the Eritrean ambassador in London on 16 March. Our ambassador in Asmara has also followed up these cases during his meetings with senior Eritrean officials last week. We will continue to make clear our concern.

Estonia

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what instructions have been given to the UK embassy in Tallinn in relation to (a) support for and (b) dealings with Scotland House.

Chris Mullin: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to him on 9 March 2005, Official Report, columns 189192W.

European Constitution

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 17 January 2005, Official Report, column 701W, on the European Constitution, when a budget for informing the public about the EU, including about the proposed EU Constitutional Treaty, will be set for financial year 200506; if he will list the (a) individual budget lines and (b) sums allocated within the overall budget of 613,000 for informing the public about the EU; when the budget of 613,000 was allocated for this purpose; how much of the budget of 613,000 for informing the public about the EU and the proposed EU Constitutional Treaty has been spent to date; what payments have been allocated to non-government organisations for the purpose of informing the public about the EU and the proposed EU Constitutional Treaty; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) budget for communications activities on the EU for financial year (FY) 200506 has not yet been allocated. FCO departmental budgets will be confirmed over the next month. The current Europe Directorate budget of 613,000 for EU communications activities for FY 200405 is allocated towards various communications activities, including media relations (55,000), materials (160,000), ministerial regional visits (25,000), e-communications (80,000), partnership marketing (20,000) and development of a longer-term communications strategy (55,000). Exact expenditure will be confirmed at the end of FY 200405.
	The FCO's budget for EU communications activities in 200405 was initially set at 200,000. This was increased to 613,000 in the mid-year spending review in November 2004.
	No payments have been allocated to non-governmental organisations for the purpose of informing the public about the EU and the proposed EU Constitutional Treaty.

European Union

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals have been made, and by whom, for a change of name of European Union (a) regulations and (b) directives; what the policy of the Government are on the proposals; what consultations the Government have undertaken on those proposals; and by what procedure such a change would be made.

Denis MacShane: These proposals are to be found in the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe which the Government support and have put forward for consideration by both Houses of Parliament. Specifically, Article I-33 of the Constitutional Treaty, which describes the legal acts of the Union, provides for (among other things) European laws and European framework laws. The definition of a European law in Article I-33 corresponds closely to the definition of a regulation in the existing Article 249 TEC and the definition of a European framework law in Article I-33 corresponds to the definition of a directive in Article 249. Further detail on these points is set out in Command Paper 6459, page 32the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Commentary on the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe.

General Affairs and External Relations Council

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the outcome was of the General Affairs and External Relations Council held on 16 March; what the Government's stance was on the issues discussed, including their voting record; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: The information is as follows:
	Outcome of the 16 March 2005 General Affairs and External Relations Council
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and John Grant (UK Permanent Representative to the EU) represented the UK at the General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) in Brussels on 16 March 2005.
	Conclusions were agreed on the Middle East, Human RightsPreparation for the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), Lebanon, Croatia, and Iran.
	General Affairs Session
	Preparations for the European Council2223 March, Brussels
	The Council discussed the revised European Council Conclusions. Member states raised the importance of the Lisbon Strategy and the importance of growth and employment. UK and a number of other member states underlined the importance of further developing the EU's medium and long-term strategy to tackle climate change. Language was also agreed on better regulation and administrative burdens. Overall, member states thought that the text represented a good balance. The Government agree.
	EnlargementCroatia
	The Council referred to the Conclusions reached by the European Council in June 2004 confirming Croatia as a candidate for membership as well as further Conclusions reached in December 2004. The Council reaffirmed the EU's commitment to the accession of Croatia and referred to the importance of full cooperation with the ICTY on the part of all Western Balkans countries as an essential requirement for closer relations with the EU. After deliberation by the Council it was agreed that the opening of accession negotiations should be postponed. Conclusions were accordingly agreed reiterating the importance of Croatia co-operating fully with ICTY, and confirming that negotiations would open as soon as the Council had established that Croatia was so doing. The Government underlined their desire to see Croatia as a full member of the EU as soon as possible but reiterated that this could only happen when there was full cooperation with the ICTY.
	Future financing 200713
	The presidency presented its so-called negotiating box for future financingessentially a list of issues up for negotiation in the form of possible June European Council Conclusions. The presidency did not invite comments. The Government's position on future financing remains that the Commission's proposals for real term spending increases of 35 per cent. from 2007 to 2013 are unrealistic and unacceptable. We, along with France, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria and Sweden, believe that the priorities of an enlarged Union can be met within a budget of 1 per cent. EU GNI. This is sufficient to meet the challenge of cohesion provided that resources are focused on prioritiesnamely the poorest member states.
	External Relations Session
	Middle East
	Over lunch the Foreign Secretary briefed Partners on the outcome of the London Meeting and thanked them for their support. There was agreement on the need for continued EU engagement. Ministers then turned to the situation in Lebanon, reaffirming their strong support for a sovereign, independent and democratic Lebanon. They welcomed the commitment to these values shown by the people of Lebanon. They highlighted the importance for the EU that the forthcoming legislative elections in Lebanon be held in accordance with a free and fair electoral process based on the Lebanese constitution, free from foreign interference. The EU will closely monitor the electoral process and be ready to provide assistance. This may, if invited, include sending an election observation mission. Ministers agreed Council Conclusions calling for a full and immediate implementation of UNSCR 1559, the withdrawal of Syrian intelligence services, and the importance of free and fair elections.
	Iran
	High Representative Javier Solana updated the Council on the state of play of negotiations with Iran on its nuclear programme undertaken by France, Germany and the UK (the 'E3'), plus the Council Secretariat. Ministers exchanged views on the negotiations. They expressed their support for the E3's approach, welcoming the support from the international community and the announcement by the United States on 11 March that it would actively support these negotiations.
	Russia
	The presidency underlined its commitment to conclude agreement on the Four Common Spaces as a package at the EU-Russia Summit on 10 May and drew to Ministers' attention the remaining issues. A number of member states raised the OSCE Border Monitoring Operation on the Georgia/Russia border and the EU's response to the blocking of its mandate. The Government welcome the progress made on the Four Common Spaces and supports the presidency in their efforts to reach an agreement.
	Generalised System of Preferences (GSP)
	The presidency emphasised the importance of reaching agreement on the new GSP scheme to meet the commitment made by the Council and the Commission to countries affected by the Asian tsunami to bring it into force on 1 April. Ministers discussed the two outstanding problems, which were the graduation threshold for textiles and clothing and the granting of GSP plus to El Salvador. Member states reiterated their positions on the graduation threshold for textiles. The Government had pushed for the same threshold across all sectors, but were willing to compromise and supported the Commission proposal in order to reach agreement in time for the 1 April deadline. However, member states arguing for a lower threshold were unwilling to compromise. The Council was unable to approve the new GSP regime. The Government will continue to work to ensure that a new GSP is agreed at the earliest opportunity.
	European Neighbourhood Policy
	The European Commission presented European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) Country Reports on Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Egypt and Lebanon. There was no discussion. The Government welcome the timely preparation of the Country Reports and supports the inclusion of all of these countries in the ENP. The Government believe the ENP will provide a useful tool to encourage reform in all five countries, and progress on conflict resolution in the South Caucasus. We therefore support the recommendation in the Country Reports that Action Plans should be prepared for all five countries.
	Sudan
	The Council exchanged views on the situation in Sudan, especially on the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and the conflict in Darfur. The Council expressed the hope that the negotiations underway in the UN Security Council would lead to consensus in favour of the implementation of a UN mission to Sudan and of measures that would end the violence and impunity in Darfur through referral to the International Criminal Court. This was reflected in Council Conclusions.
	AOBZimbabwe
	Over lunch the Foreign Secretary raised the 31 March Zimbabwean elections and the need for a fair but firm EU assessment. He highlighted that the UK remained concerned about the prospects for free and fair elections. Constituency boundaries had been redrawn in favour of Zanu PF, the voters' roll was a mess, newspapers had been shut down and foreign journalists prevented from working, and intimidation against the opposition continued. The elections should not be seen in isolation, but in the context of the political climate that had prevailed since the 2002 presidential elections. The changes that the Government had made in the last 30 days could not make up for the brutality and lack of respect for human rights and the rule of law over the past three years. The Foreign Secretary offered to write to Partners setting out the issues further.

Holy See

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what occasions the future arrangements for UK diplomatic representation to the Holy See were discussed with (a) the Archbishop of Westminster, as Head of the Catholic Hierarchy in England and Wales, (b) the Archbishop of Edinburgh, as Head of the Catholic Hierarchy in Scotland and (c) Archbishop Sean Brady, as Head of the Catholic Hierarchy in Ireland; what their response was to these consultations; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: We have kept the Catholic church in the UK informed of our deliberations on a regular and informal basis. They have not raised any concerns with us over our plans.

Holy See

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 10 January 2005, Official Report, column 21W, on the Holy See, what the response was of the Papal Nuncio to the Government's consultation concerning revised arrangements for the UK's future diplomatic representation to the Holy See; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: The Papal Nuncio in the UK has been kept informed of our deliberations on an informal basis and has not raised any concerns with us over our plans.

International Driving Requirements

David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he has taken to ensure that UK drivers are informed of the requirement in (a) Italy and (b) Spain to carry at least one reflective jacket in their cars.

Denis MacShane: The requirement for drivers in Spain to carry at least one reflective jacket in their car has been displayed in our Travel Advice for Spain since the new regulation came into force during summer 2004.
	We have recently up-dated our Travel Advice for Italy to include this requirement. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) travel advice is available on the FCO website: www.fco.gov.uk. I am writing to the AA, RAC and to motoring and travel edition in the press asking that publicity is given to this requirement for motorists in Spain and Italy.

Interpretation/Translation Services

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many companies were invited to tender for (a) interpretation and translation services and (b) provision of interpretation equipment at meetings of the G8 to be hosted by the UK.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 22 March 2005
	No companies have been invited to tender for interpretation and translation services for work associated with the G8 Presidency. Four companies have tendered for the provision of interpretation equipment for the G8 Summit in July.

Ministerial Visits

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the purpose was of his official visit to Lahore and Gujarat in February.

Jack Straw: Whenever possible and appropriate, I try on trips abroad of any length to visit areas beyond the capital cities concerned, as well as the capitals themselves. Thus in early 2004 I visited Peshawar as well as Islamabad, Pakistan, and Bangalore as well as New Delhi, India.
	In respect of my visit to Pakistan in February 2005, the proposal for a visit to Lahore came initially from the Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Khurshid Kasuri. Lahore is his home. It is the second largest city in Pakistan, and a major centre for the media and commerce, as well as being the capital of Punjab province. Mr. Kasuri arranged for me to meet a wide cross-section of the business and political leaders of the province. In addition, I gave the keynote speech of my visit to Pakistan there, entitled: 'Pakistan and the United Kingdom: a modern partnership for engagement and understanding'.
	I also expressed an interest in visiting one of the major centres to which many of the large UK population of people of Pakistani heritage trace their roots. My original idea was to visit Mirpur, in Pakistani-administered Kashmir. However, I decided not to do so for foreign policy reasons. I then sought suggestions from a number of people of Pakistani origin in the UK, in my Blackburn constituency and elsewhere. Two suggestions were made to meJhelum or Gujrat in Punjab province. I decided, following advice from officials, to visit the latter as it was easy to slot into my programme and because it is the home city of the Chief Minister of Punjab province, Pervaiz Ellahi. During my visit to Gujarat I was also able to pursue the Government's consular and immigration objectives.
	To avoid confusion, I last visited the Indian state of Gujarat (Ahmedabad, the state capital) in September 2000.

Moldova

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have taken place with Russia regarding Transnistria separatists in Moldova; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: Regular discussions are held with Russia on Transnistria, principally through the framework of the EU troika. Transnistria was discussed most recently at the EU Foreign Ministers' troika meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on 28 February. My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. Rammell) represented the UK at this meeting. The UK and Russia also discussed Transnistria bilaterally at official level on 18 February during Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Chizhov's visit to London.

Mr. Peter Dun

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has received a copy of the Lacey Report on the conduct of officials in his Office in the case of Mr. Peter Dun, a former employee of the diplomatic service.

Douglas Alexander: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not comment on cases involving serving or former employees, nor would it be appropriate to do so in this case.

Nepal

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment has been made of Nepal's ability to combat Maoist insurgents following the suspension of non-lethal military aid by the UK and India.

Douglas Alexander: India's assistance is more immediately critical than the UK's as they provide lethal hardware. The UK's support has been non-lethal and focused on improving general professionalism and intelligence capabilities. However, given the topography of Nepal and the capabilities of the security forces and the Maoists, it does not appear that either side can win the conflict militarily. A negotiated political settlement involving all the constitutional forces offers the best way to resolve the conflict in Nepal and to create a stable democracy with good governance and respect for human rights. We assess that by taking power the King has undermined democracy, increased the risk of instability and that this is likely to lead to intensified conflict. The UK's military support has been predicated on multi-party democracy and the preservation of democratic freedoms. We are considering with international partners what our longer term policy should be in the new political context.

OSCE

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Russian counterpart about the functioning of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not had recent discussions on the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) with his Russian counterpart. I discussed OSCE business with the Russian ambassador in January and with Deputy Foreign Minister Chizhov last month. The functioning of the organisation is also the subject of frequent discussion with Russia at senior official-level in London, Brussels and Vienna. In these discussions, we have made clear to Russia the importance the UK attaches to the central role played by the OSCE in European security architecture, not least through its human dimension work. We have also set out that, while the UK is content to see OSCE reform, this must not be at the expense of the organisation's democratic values and core commitments, including in the field of human rights.

OSCE

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the budgetary process for the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

Bill Rammell: Agreement of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe's (OSCE) unified budget requires the consent of all 55 participating states. There is at present no consensus on the 2005 budget or on a revision to the scales of contribution. We are concerned about the failure to reach an agreement. We are working with EU partners to find a solution, including through discussions with Russia and other participating states. In the absence of such agreement, we support the interim measures taken by the OSCE Secretary General to ensure the continuing functioning of the organisation.

Sudan

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the recommendation by the UN Human Rights Commissioner that the international criminal court should be used to prosecute Sudanese war criminals; and what discussions have taken place between the Government and the US Administration on the issue.

Chris Mullin: We have made clear our preference for the situation in Darfur to be referred to the international criminal court (ICC), as recommended by the UN Human Rights Commissioner and the International Commission of Inquiry into Darfur. Since Sudan is not a state party to the ICC Statute, and is unlikely to refer the situation to the court, a decision by the Security Council will be required.
	We are currently holding discussions with the US and other partners, in capitals and New York, on the draft text of a Security Council resolution that will address the issue of judicial accountability.

Uganda

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to his Ugandan counterpart about the use of violence by the Ugandan police against the activities of the Forum for Democratic Change; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mullin: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Boston and Skegness (Mr. Simmonds) on 8 March 2005, Official Report, column 1796W.

Uganda

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the activities of the People's Redemption Army in Uganda; when it was formed; in what areas of Uganda it is located; what installations and facilities it has attacked; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mullin: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 9 March 2005, Official Report, column 1896W.

Uganda

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to his Ugandan counterpart concerning the use of violence by the Uganda Presidential Protection Brigade against the Forum for Democratic Change Women's Group's participation in International Women's Day celebrations; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mullin: We are not aware of violence being used against members of the Forum for Democratic Change trying to attend official Women's Day celebrations in Uganda. But we regularly make clear to the Ugandan authorities our views that opposition groups must be allowed to operate free of violence or intimidation.

Venezuela

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the Venezuelan Government's policies on (a) land reform and (b) foreign-owned land.

Douglas Alexander: We monitor political and economic developments in Venezuela closely, including on land reform. We have consistently underlined to the Venezuelan Government the importance of ensuring that land reform policies are transparent and consistent with Venezuela's domestic and international legal commitments. The Venezuelan Government have informed us that there is no distinction in their land reform policy between foreign-owned land and that owned by Venezuelans.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Business Fraud

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Solicitor-General when she next expects to meet representatives of small business organisations to discuss Government measures to tackle fraudulent schemes aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises.

Harriet Harman: I met with representatives of the Federation of Small Businesses and representatives of the CPS and SFO in March 2004. If the Federation would find another meeting helpful, I would be willing to consider this.

Iraq

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Solicitor-General what recent representations she has received on publishing the Attorney-General's advice on the legality of the war in Iraq.

Harriet Harman: Since 1 January 2005, my office has received 20 requests for disclosure of the Attorney-General's advice on the legality of military action against Iraq from MPs, journalists and members of the public.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Election Participation

Jim Cunningham: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what recent representations have been received by the commission on increasing participation in elections among young women.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it has not received any recent representations on increasing participation in elections among young women. It has, however, commissioned and published research in this areaGender and political participation; conducted four educational workshops specifically for young women; and its New Initiatives Fund has supported five projects specifically aimed at raising young women's participation in politics. The commission also has a programme of community outreach to increase electoral participation among young people in general, and runs two annual student campaigns in partnership with the National Union of Students.

Postal Votes

Bob Russell: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, if, pursuant to his oral answer of 21 March 2005, Official Report, column 597, to the hon. Member for Colchester, he will make a further statement about registration levels for postal votes in Newcastle, Cardiff and Stevenage.

Peter Viggers: In my response to the hon. Member for Colchester on 21 March 2005, Official Report, column 597, I stated that I had been advised that
	in some areas, such as Newcastle, Cardiff and Stevenage, some 50 per cent. of voters have registered for postal votes.
	That information had been given to me orally earlier that day at a briefing on this question by a representative of the Electoral Commission.
	I am now informed by the commission that this information was incorrect as regards the position in Newcastle and Cardiff. Following contact with the relevant electoral registration officers, the commission has advised me that while the current percentage of voters registered for postal votes in Stevenage is indeed around 50 per cent., the correct figures for Newcastle and Cardiff are around 41 per cent. and 14 per cent. respectively. Although the general point that I was illustrating with these figuresthat postal voting is now very widespreadremains valid, I regret that the incorrect information I had been given led me to give the House an inaccurate picture of the current position in Newcastle and Cardiff.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Diet (Educational Attainment)

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent assessment she has made of the relationship between educational achievement and diet.

Margaret Hodge: The Department for Education and Skills has made no assessment of the relationship between educational achievement and diet. However, a healthy, balanced diet is a key factor in protecting health and promoting children's proper growth and development. It may help children and young people to improve their concentration, but the evidence at present is anecdotal.

Vocational Training

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she next expects to visit Essex to discuss vocational skills training.

Ivan Lewis: I have no immediate plans to visit Essex. However, as the hon. Member will be aware we have recently published a Skills White Paper, Getting on in Business, Getting on at Work, which will further enhance vocational skills development.

Further Education

Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has for charging for 16 to 19 further education courses.

Kim Howells: None. We have no such plans. Through the Learning and Skills Act 2000 we have created an entitlement to education or training for all young people under the age of 19. To ensure this entitlement is genuine and encourages access we have ensured young people pay no tuition fees or similar charges. We have further extended this entitlement to include part-time learners and to cover registration and examination fees.

Special Educational Needs

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on Government policy on children with special educational needs.

Margaret Hodge: The Government's policy on special educational needs is set out in its SEN Strategy,
	Removing Barriers to Achievement,
	published in February 2004.

Accidents

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many accidents occurred at her departmental premises in each of the last five years involving (a) members of her Department's staff and (b) members of the public.

Derek Twigg: The Department for Education and Skills records are only maintained for a three year period in line with the guidance from the Health and Safety Executive. Our records do not differentiate between accidents to staff and other people. The following table provides the information requested.
	
		
			  Total number of accidents reported RIDDOR reports 
		
		
			 2000 n/a 15 
			 2001 n/a 12 
			 2002 132 Yes 
			 2003 141 Yes 
			 2004 107 Yes 
			 2005(16) 14 (17) 
		
	
	n/a = not available.
	(16) Year to date.
	(17) None to date.

Accidents

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what arrangements for monitoring accidents at work involving members of staff of her Department are in place; and if she will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: All accidents in the Department for Education and Skills are investigated by trained health and safety officials. Reports on the nature and cause of all accidents are completed and investigations undertaken to identify the appropriate remedial action to reduce or eliminate any risks.

Adult Education

Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  whether her Department will fully fund courses for adults at Level 3 in Redbridge in 200506;
	(2)  whether she expects fees for courses above Level 2 for adults in Redbridge to rise in 200506.

Kim Howells: It is our policy to ensure that those groups of people benefiting from fully funded further education provision will continue to do so. There will be no change in the fee concessions arrangements that help unemployed people, those on income based benefits, and retired people and working families on low incomes, to access further education. We will continue to make substantial levels of public funding available to all which covers the largest part of the cost of courses but we also expect adult learners, who can afford to do so, to make a contribution to the costs of their learning. Those people already qualified at Level 2, or not in one of our priority groups, will on average pay a higher fee contribution in 2005/06 unless they qualify for fee concessions.

Adult Education

Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will ensure fee concessions remain in place for those aged over 60-years who wish to study in a further education college in Redbridge.

Kim Howells: Older people will continue to be eligible for concessions funded by my Department through the Learning and Skills Council if they are receiving an income based benefit such as housing benefit or council tax benefit, and they may be eligible for fee concessions if they are receiving the pension credit. learners of any age will also continue to have access to literacy, numeracy and English language courses free of charge. Colleges such as those in Redbridge will continue to have considerable discretion in setting fees, and although we want colleges to raise more of the income they voluntarily forgo, we have no plans to stop colleges offering additional concessions if appropriate.

Apprentices

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what information she has on the number of apprentices who continue on to university in England.

Ivan Lewis: Details of entry qualifications of entrants to higher education are collected annually by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) but students with apprenticeships are not identified separately.
	We are committed to strengthening the links between higher education and apprenticeship, and have commissioned work to explore the current evidential base on apprenticeship progression to higher education which will inform LSC and DfES workin this area.

Children's Commissioner for England

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the (a) remit and (b) salary will be of the new Children's Commissioner for England.

Margaret Hodge: The Children's Commissioner's remit is set out in the Children Act 2004. He will promote awareness of the views and interests of children and young people; working as an independent champion, with a strategic role which gives him wide scope and influence in advancing their interests. He will be particularly concerned with the five outcomes that children and young people told us were critical to their well-being: being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and achieving economic well-being. He must have regard to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in carrying out his work. The Commissioner will be able to focus on the widest possible interpretation of children's well-being and have the freedom to pursue whatever issues he judges most important to children and young people.
	In addition, where the Children's Commissioner considers that the case of an individual child in England raises issues of public policy of relevance to other children, he may hold an inquiry into that case.
	In line with the Devolution Settlements, the Children's Commissioner has the function of promoting awareness of the views and interests of children in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland in so far as they relate to non-devolved matters.
	The Children's Commissioner's salary is 130,000 per annum.

Children's Commissioner for England

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what special arrangements will be put in place when the Children's Commissioner for England deals with complaints about the conduct of paediatricians dealing with children.

Margaret Hodge: None.
	As stated in the Children Act 2004, the Children's Commissioner has the function of promoting awareness of the views and interests of children. As part of this function, he may choose to consider or research any matter, relating to the interests of children, including the operation of complaints procedures. He also has an inquiry function which means that when he considers that the case of an individual child raises questions of relevance to children generally, he may hold an inquiry into that case. He is also independent of Government and if he chooses to deal with complaints about the conduct of paediatricians or any other professional group, it will be up to him how he exercises this duty and what arrangements he will make.
	As in all his work, whether the Commissioner holds an inquiry or considers an issue, he will exercise impartiality at all times.

Stourbridge

Debra Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to Stourbridge constituency, the effects on the constituency of changes to her Department's policies since 1997.

Stephen Twigg: The Stourbridge constituency lies within Dudley local education authority. The most recent Key Stage 2 and GCSE and equivalents Achievement for pupils attending schools in Stourbridge are given in the following tables:
	
		Key Stage 2 Achievements of 11-year-old pupils attending schools in the Stourbridge constituencyPercentage of pupils gaining level 4 and above
		
			  1997 2004 Percentage point improvement 19972004 
		
		
			 Stourbridge
			 English(18) 65 83 18 
			 Maths(18) 65 78 13 
			 National average 
			 English(19)' 63 78 15 
			 Maths(19) 61 74 13 
		
	
	(18) Pupils attending schools in Stourbridge constituency
	(19) The average for all schools in England (including independent schools)
	
		GCSE and equivalents(20) Achievement of 15-year-old pupils(21) attending schools in the Stourbridge constituency
		
			 Percentage of 15-year-olds gaining 1997 2004 Percentage point improvement 19972004 
		
		
			 Stourbridge5 + A*-C 51.0 54.8 3.8 
			 Stourbridge5 + A*-G 90.0 92.0 2.0 
			 National Average5+ A*-C 45.1 53.7 8.6 
			 National Average5+ A*-G 87.0 88.8 1.8 
		
	
	(20) For 2004 only results incorporate GCSEs, GNVQs and a wide range of other qualifications approved pre-16. Prior to 2004 results are based on GCSEs and GNVQs only.
	(21) As standard the results reported relate to pupils aged 15 at the start of the academic year i.e. 31 August and therefore reaching the end of compulsory education at the end of the school year.
	At national level, standards have improved across all key stages. The Primary and Key Stage 3 National Strategies, together with the measures we have taken to help schools in the toughest areas are continuing to deliver better results.
	Further information by constituency, is provided within the Department's 'In Your Area' website available at http://www.dfes.gov.uk/inyourarea. Where information is not available at the constituency level it has been provided at local education authority level.
	This website allows users to access key facts and local information about education and skills based on postcodes. The data available within the site offers comparisons between 1997 and the latest available year and covers five geographies. These are parliamentary constituency, ward, local authority district, local education authority and Government office region. England figures are also provided.
	The information available within the web site is grouped in a number of broad categories including Literacy and Numeracy at age 11, Literacy and Numeracy at age 14, GCSE/GNVQ results, Pupils with Special Educational Needs, School Initiatives, School Workforce, School Funding and Resources, Children's Social Services, Early Years, Class Sizes, Post 16, Higher Education and Adult Education.
	Additional information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, my Department is investigating ways in which we can disseminate more information about the effects of our policies at a local level. The 'In Your Area' website will be further developed over the coming months to include additional information about Adult Education, School Funding, School Initiatives, School Performance, School Workforce and Post 16.

Disabled Access

Huw Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the implementation of the Disability Discrimination Act 2000 by schools and colleges; and what plans she has to increase access for people with disabilities to schools and colleges.

Margaret Hodge: As I said to my hon. Friend on 8 November 2004, Official Report, column 462W on disabled student (access), schools and post 16 institutions now have a wide range of duties under Part 4 of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995, to improve access to education for their disabled pupils and students and progress is being monitored.

Dyslexia

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she is taking to ensure that teachers are trained to identify and respond to dyslexia.

Margaret Hodge: In order to be awarded Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), trainee teachers must demonstrate that they understand their responsibilities under the statutory SEN Code of Practice, know how to seek advice from specialists where necessary and can differentiate their teaching to meet the needs of pupils, including those with SEN.
	The underpinning standards for the Induction Programme for those awarded QTS require teachers to demonstrate that they can plan effectively, meeting the needs of pupils in their classes with SEN, with or without a statement. In consultation with the SEN Co-ordinator they contribute to the preparation and implementation of individual pupils' education plans or the equivalent.
	The Department is working with the Teacher Training Agency to take forward a range of specific proposals designed to improve the skills and confidence of trainee, newly qualified, and established teachers in supporting pupils with SEN. These proposals are currently being developed in discussions with various interested parties.
	The Department also continues to work closely with both the British Dyslexia Association (BDA) and the Dyslexia Institute (DI), and have supported a number of initiatives aimed at raising awareness of dyslexia to help teachers to identify pupils with dyslexia and to take appropriate action at an early stage. For example, we have grant-aided the production and dissemination of 'Achieving Dyslexia Friendly Schools' a school resource pack which promotes a whole-school approach to supporting pupils with dyslexia and provides examples of best practice.
	The Department through its National Primary Strategy has produced an extensive range of specific guidance material for schools on evidence-based interventions for children with significant literacy and numeracy difficulties. We have also produced guidance material on classroom strategies to enable dyslexic pupils' to access learning. A new interactive CD-ROM based in-service training resource is currently being developed in collaboration with the BDA and DI. This is designed to help school staff increase their awareness and understanding of the barriers to learning presented by dyslexia, and the teaching strategies that can be used to overcome them. This resource is expected to be available to schools from May.

Early Intervention Programmes

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress has been made in the Early Intervention pilots; what research she has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effectiveness of the pilots; and if she will make a statement on the future use of Early Intervention programmes in resolving family disputes relating to children.

Margaret Hodge: The Family Resolutions pilot began in Sunderland, Brighton and Inner London in autumn 2004. The pilot will test the effectiveness of a range of information and parent planning measures in helping separating or separated parents to reach agreement about contact and residence for their children, without needing full court proceedings.
	The University of East Anglia has been commissioned to monitor the impact of Family Resolutions and it is expected to report in March 2006. Outcomes of this report will inform the Government's decision on whether or how the programme should be rolled out nationally.

Early Years Care

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will take steps to support private and voluntary early years care providers in the development of the skills of their care staff; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: We are already doing much to support private and voluntary sector early years' providers in developing the skills of their work force. We are giving 129.9 million to local authorities (LAs) in England over the two years 200406 for developing the early years and child care work force. We are also working closely with the Learning and Skills Council who, with LAs, have shared local targets to train early years' workers.
	Our 10 year strategy for child care, published in December 2004, identifies the work force as the single biggest factor determining the quality of child care. It recognises that developing world-class early years' services will require a step-change in the quality and stability of the work force. We are committed to this radical reform and we will work with leading bodies in the sector to achieve it.
	We recognise that quality improvements may have cost implications for all early years' providers, which is why we have created a 'Transformation Fund' of 125 million a year. From April 2006, this fund will be used to support investment by local authorities in high quality, affordable, flexible and sustainable child care provision.
	In addition, we have developed the Common Core of Skills and Knowledge to support and focus professional development in the children's work force, including those working for private and voluntary sector early years' providers. This sets out the areas of expertise that everyone working with children, young people and families (including those who work as volunteers) should be able to demonstrate. It sets out the skills and knowledge that, if accredited, could form the basis of a minimum competence for working with children, young people and their families.

Education Business Links

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what advice she has given to (a) local learning and skills councils and (b) those in charge of single regeneration budgets on what funding should be made available for education business links; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Twigg: The Department does not advise local LSCs on spending priorities. This is a matter for the learning and skills council itself. Mark Haysom, the LSC's chief executive, will write to my hon. Friend on this point, and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.
	The Single Regeneration Budget was subsumed into Regional Development Agency funding in April 2002. Remaining SRB funding is on a commitments-only basis. However, RDAs support education and skills objectives, including education business links. Guidance to RDAs about producing their Corporate Plans for 200508 asks them to consider how they can promote
	employers' engagement with schools and colleges in developing learners' vocational and employability skills, as well as their enterprise capability in line with the Enterprise Education strategy.

Education Funding (Leeds)

Paul Truswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the level of funding per pupil in Leeds was in each year since 1992.

Stephen Twigg: The information requested is only available from 199798 onwards. Due to changes in the school funding system, it is not possible to provide corresponding figures for previous years. The information requested can be found in the following table:
	
		Average funding per pupil aged 319Leeds
		
			   
		
		
			 199798 2,750 
			 199899 2,800 
			 19992000 2,940 
			 200001 3,230 
			 200102 3,410 
			 200203 3,520 
			 200304 3,650 
			 200405 3,770 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Total funding includes funding via Education Formula Spending/Standard Spending Assessment and revenue grants allocated at an LEA level. It excludes the pensions transfer to EPS and the Learning and Skills Council.
	2. Real terms at 200304 prices, based on GDP deflators as at 30 September 2004.
	3. Figures reflect relevant sub-blocks of education SSA/EFS settlements.
	4. Total funding also includes all revenue grants in DfES Departmental Expenditure Limits relevant to pupils aged 319 and exclude EMAs and grants not allocated at LEA level.
	5. The pupil numbers used to convert m figures to per pupil are those underlying the SSA/EFS settlement calculations plus PLASC 3-year-old maintained pupils and estimated 3 to 4-year-olds funded through state support in maintained and other educational institutions where these are not included in the SSA pupil numbers.
	6. Figures are as reported by the LEA and rounded to the nearest 10.

Education Spending (Wirral)

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what per capita spending on education was in Wirral, South in (a) 1997, (b) 2001 and (c) the last year for which figures are available.

Stephen Twigg: The information requested is collected at local education authority level. Wirral, South is part of both Wirral and Cheshire LEAs and the following table contains the information requested:
	
		Education expenditure1, 2 per capita(24) in Wirral and Cheshire LEAs(25)
		
			  per capita 
			  Wirral Cheshire 
		
		
			 199798(26) 1,940 1,940 
			
			 200102 2,680 2,440 
			 200203 3,110 2,800 
		
	
	(22) The total expenditure on education in schools and LEAs is drawn from the net current expenditure column of the total education spending line. This includes expenditure on schools, education out of schools, continuing education, youth and community and also central LEA management and support. However excluded from the total expenditure is any capital expenditure from revenue (CERA). HE expenditure is not allocated on an LEA basis and instead is largely funded by Government with the money allocated annually, to individual universities through the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). Similarly, the Department does not collect information on the level of funding per student in FE at a local or regional level and therefore we are unable to identify the per capita cost in respect of HE and FE provision for Wirral and Cheshire LEAs and as such it has been excluded.
	(23) The expenditure data for 199798 are drawn from the annual 'RO1' spending returns which local authorities submitted to the ODPM. Figures for 200102 and 200304 are drawn from Section 52 outturn statements which LEAs submitted to the DfES.
	(24) In order to provide a per capita figure for expenditure on education we have divided each LEA's net current education expenditure figure by the total population aged between three and 19 (inclusive) within that authority. The population figures are estimated resident mid year population figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and these have recently been revised following the 2001 Census. Thus for financial year 199798 we have used the population estimate from mid year 1997 and for 200102 we used the mid 2001 estimate (and so on).
	(25) Local government reorganisation (LGR) took place on 1 April 1998 where pre-LGR Cheshire LEA was split into Cheshire LEA, Halton LEA and Warrington LEA. As a result, 199798 data is for pre-LGR Cheshire LEA and data for subsequent years is for the part of pre-LGR Cheshire now known as Cheshire LEA and is not therefore comparable with the 199798 figure. This break in the time series is shown by the blank row.
	(26) Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 as reported by the LEA.

Enterprise Education

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the delivery of enterprise education.

Stephen Twigg: From September 2005 funding of 60 million will support a new focus on enterprise education for all Key Stage 4 pupils. In preparation for this new requirement we have in the last two years spent over 30 million: on Pathfinder projects involving over 700 schools, from which we have prepared national guidance which is already available to schools; and on the Enterprise Adviser service, to help prepare schools in especially disadvantaged areas. Thus in only two years since the Davies Report, we had funded interventions on enterprise in 50 per cent. of secondary schools.
	We are currently arranging regional conferences on enterprise education for all schools and for their local partners, to enable them to discuss the national guidance and consider local delivery in the next academic year. These will take place in April, May and June.

Expulsions (Leicester, South)

Parmjit Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils between the ages of 11 and 18 years in Leicester, South have been expelled for (a) drugs offences, (b) truancy and (c) bullying since 1997.

Derek Twigg: The information going back to 1997 is not held centrally. We started to collect reasons for exclusions on a termly basis from the summer term 2003.
	However, due to concerns over the reliability of the first set of data, the full data on reasons for exclusion were not published in the Experimental First Release (ESR 01/2004), a copy of which is in the Library. The next Statistical First Release on exclusions, including reasons for exclusion, will be published in June 2005.

Families (Grants)

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what Government funding the National Family and Parenting Institute received in each of the last five years; and what her policy is on the role preventative relationship education should have in the publicly-funded work of the institute.

Margaret Hodge: The National Family and Parenting Institute (NFPI) was set up in 1999 with start-up funding of 120,000 from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and a total of 2 million strategic funding from Government against a three year work programme. The funding was renewed in 2002 for a further three years at the same level.
	NFPI was established to improve and develop family and parenting support through; network formation, research and the provision of information to the sector and the public. Whilst NFPI has a broad and far reaching remit which may include preventative relationship education it does not have a specific role in this area.

FE Funding

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will take steps to enable colleges to retain funding for students who have withdrawn from courses.

Kim Howells: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is responsible for funding further education colleges and matters concerning the funding impact of students withdrawing from courses relate to the LSC's operational responsibilities. The LSC's agenda for change programme includes a review of its funding methodology. Mark Haysom the LSC's chief executive will write to the hon. Member about this work. A copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.

Granada Learning

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the terms of the contract with Granada Learning for the provision of learning materials for Latin at Key Stage 3 are; and whether the terms include provision for repayment for non-delivery of materials contracted for.

Stephen Twigg: The terms of the contract with Granada Learning for the provision of learning materials for Latin at Key Stage 3 are that they provide a range of materials covering the Cambridge Latin Course Books 1 and 2.
	As with all contracts there is the provision for either party to take appropriate steps should the materials contracted for not be delivered. Seeking repayment for the non-delivery of materials contracted for is one such option.

Granada Learning

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on her Department's support for the Granada Learning project for the teaching of Latin at Key Stage 3 referred to by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary in the adjournment debate on 12 July 2004, Official Report, column 1233.

Stephen Twigg: The Department contracted with Granada Learning in November 2002 for the provision of learning materials for Latin at Key Stage 3. This includes audio visual materials, interactive exercises, collaborative items and a range of specially written courses and print support.

Independent Schools

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of secondary age pupils attended independent schools in England in each of the last five years (a) in total and (b) broken down by local education authority area.

Stephen Twigg: The information requested has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

Nutrition Training

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what advice and guidance is offered to public and private sector service providers on the inclusion of nutrition and malnutrition within the core training of healthcare employees in bands two and three of Agenda for Change.

John Hutton: I have been asked to reply.
	Training at work of healthcare employees within the national health service is the responsibility of individual trusts, based on central advice. However, within the new pay NHS pay system (Agenda for Change) training of staff in all paybands, including paybands two and three is supported by use of the NHS knowledge and skills framework. This will enable staff and managers to use joint personal development planning, individually and organisationally, to identify development requirements and career opportunities.

Parliamentary Questions

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she will answer the Question from the hon. Member for Maidenhead, ref 221881.

Margaret Hodge: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 23 March 2005, Official Report, column 853W.

Physical Education (SEN Pupils)

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) primary and (b) secondary school teachers in the West Midlands are trained to provide physical education for pupils with special educational needs.

Stephen Twigg: holding answer 23 March 2005
	The information is not collected centrally.

School Exclusions

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether the number of school exclusions is used to measure levels of indiscipline in schools.

Derek Twigg: Exclusions are one of a number of indicators we monitor closely as a measure of school behaviour. The other key indicators are Ofsted inspection evidence and the perceptions of people working in schools and of parents. Exclusion is used generally as a last resort after a range of other strategies to tackle poor behaviour have been tried. The number of exclusions may therefore not be a valid measure for levels of low level disruption or minor offences in schools that do not result in exclusion. Also, many schools are now trying, by a variety of means such as learning support units and managed moves, to support disruptive pupils within a school setting, although not necessarily in a classroom, so as to prevent exclusion.

School Funding

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding was allocated per pupil to schools in (a) London, (b) the Vale of York and (c) North Yorkshire in 200405.

Stephen Twigg: Total funding per pupil aged 319 for 200405 was 4,880 for London, 3,600 for York and 3,760 for North Yorkshire.
	These figures include funding via the Education Formula Spending Share and grants allocated at LEA level. They include the pensions transfer to EFSS and the Learning and Skills Council, and are in cash terms.
	The main reason for the difference in funding is that London authorities have more pupils living in deprived circumstances than York and North Yorkshire and receive extra funding to reflect that. London authorities also receive extra funding to reflect their high costs of recruiting and retaining staff: York and North Yorkshire do not.
	Notes:
	Price Base: Cash
	Figures reflect relevant sub-blocks of education EFS settlements and include the pensions transfer to EFS and LSC.
	Total funding also includes all revenue grants in DfES departmental expenditure limits relevant to pupils aged 319 and exclude EMAs and grants not allocated at LEA level.
	The pupil numbers used to convert  million figures to  per pupil are those underlying the EFS settlement calculations.
	Rounding: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	Status: 200405 figures are provisional as some grants have not yet been finalised/audited.

School Funding

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what criteria are used in allocating funding per pupil in comparable local education authorities.

Stephen Twigg: The formula for distributing funding for schools to local authorities is the School Formula Spending Share (SFSS). It comprises a basic entitlement for each comparable pupil, which is the same across the country, plus top-ups for areas where it costs more to recruit and retain staff; areas with sparse populations; and a top-up for each pupil with additional educational needs. The factor for additional educational needs takes account of the percentage of families in receipt of income support and of those in receipt of the working families tax credit. It also takes account of primary pupils with English as a second language and secondary pupils from low achieving ethnic minority groups.
	The funding that individual schools receive is a matter for local authorities through their locally agreed funding formulae.

School Funding

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the merits of a national common funding formula; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Twigg: The Government's policy, as stated in the consultation document on new school funding arrangements from 200607 issued on 17 February is that local authorities should continue to determine local formulae for the allocation of resources between schools in their areas, in consultation with their Schools Forum.

School Funding

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will take steps to incorporate core funding into standard funds.

Stephen Twigg: The Government have no plans to incorporate core funding into the Standards Fund. Proposals for changes to specific grants, including the Standards Fund, were set out in the consultation on new school funding arrangements from 200607, published on 17 February, a copy of which has been placed in the Library. The main proposal is to bring separate Standards Fund grants for schools together into a single grant by 2008. This single grant would remain separate from schools core funding, which will continue to be routed through local authorities' school budget formulae.

School Funding

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much each (a) primary school and (b) secondary school in (i) North East Lincolnshire and (ii) North Lincolnshire has received from the Government in each year since the introduction of direct payments.

Stephen Twigg: In 200001, the first year of the School Standards Grant, North East Lincolnshire received 1,046,000, and North Lincolnshire 1,027,000. Figures on the primary/secondary split for 200001 are not held centrally. The amount of School Standards Grant (SSG) that has been received by North East Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire since 200102 is as follows:
	
		School Standards Grant
		
			  
			  Primary schools Secondary schools 
		
		
			 200102   
			 North East Lincolnshire 1,301,500 852,000 
			 North Lincolnshire 1,253,500 932,000 
			
			 200203   
			 North East Lincolnshire 1,299,500 876,100 
			 North Lincolnshire 1,263,500 958,400 
			
			 200304   
			 North East Lincolnshire 1,589,000 1,095,000 
			 North Lincolnshire 1,545,000 1,200,000 
			
			 200405   
			 North East Lincolnshire 1,664,047 1,170,603 
			 North Lincolnshire 1,641,481 1,315,386 
		
	
	Grant was allocated to each school according to the following rates in each year:
	
		200001
		
			 Number of pupils Rate of grant () 
		
		
			 Primary  
			 0100 3,000 
			 100.5200.5 6,000 
			 201 + (27) 9,000 
			   
			 Secondary  
			 0600 30,000 
			 600.51,200.5 40,000 
			 1,201 + 50,000 
		
	
	(27) The same rate was given in respect of each middle deemed primary school which did not have a year 8 or 9.
	
		200102
		
			 Number of pupils Rate of grant () 
		
		
			 Primary  
			 0100 7,000 
			 100.5200 13,500 
			 200.5400 24,000 
			 400.5600 30,000 
			 600.5 + 48,000 
			   
			 Secondary  
			 0600 58,000 
			 600.51,200 70,000 
			 1,200.5 + 82,000 
		
	
	
		200203
		
			 Number of pupils Rate of grant () 
		
		
			 Primary  
			 0100 7,200 
			 100.5200 13,900 
			 200.5400 24,700 
			 400.5600 30,900 
			 600.5 + 49,400 
			 Secondary  
			 0600 59,600 
			 600.51,200 72,000 
			 1,200.5 + 84,300 
		
	
	
		200304
		
			 Number of pupils Rate of grant () 
		
		
			 Primary  
			 0100 9,000 
			 100.5200 18,000 
			 200.5400 30,000 
			 400.5600 40,000 
			 600.5 800 60,000 
			 800.5 + 75,000 
			   
			 Secondary  
			 0600 75,000 
			 600.51,200 90,000 
			 1,200.51,800 105,000 
			 1,800.52,400 120,000 
			 2,400.5 + 135,000 
		
	
	
		200405
		
			 Number of pupils Rate of grant () 
		
		
			 Primary  
			 0100 10,000 
			 100.5200 20,000 
			 200.5400 30,000 
			 400.5600 45,000 
			 600.5 800 60,000 
			 800.5 + 75,000 
			   
			 Secondary  
			 0600 80,000 
			 600.51,200 96,000 
			 1,200.51,800 112,000 
			 1,800.52,400 128,000 
			 2,400.5 + 144,000 
		
	
	For 200405 the grant was calculated on the basis that each school receives the greater of either (a) an increase of 4 per cent. per pupil on its 200304 grant or (b) the level of its 200405 SSG band.
	Information on the amount of School Standards Grant received for each school in 200001 to 200203 is not held centrally, as the grant formed part of the schools Budget share in those years and was not reported separately by local authorities. A table showing the School Standards Grant paid to each primary and secondary school in North East Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire in 200304 and 200405 has been placed in the Library.

School Meals

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her estimate is of spending per person on school lunches in each year from 199091 to 200506; and if she will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 17 March 2005
	The Department for Education and Skills does not collect information on the spending per person on school lunches.
	The decentralised system of education funding means that local education authorities (LEAs) receive an amount based on need in their area. LEAs then agree with their schools how funding is to be delegated.

School Meals

Richard Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her Department's policy is on sourcing pork, bacon and ham bearing the British Pig Executive's Quality Standard Mark in schools; and if she will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The Department for Education and Skills does not have responsibility for central procurement of food for schools. It is for individual local education authorities or, where the budget for school meals is delegated to them, school governing bodies to agree with their catering suppliers the ingredients to be used. If schools wish, they can use organic or locally-sourced foods.
	The Healthy Living Blueprint for Schools set out our commitment to provide additional support for headteachers and governors in assessing the best way to provide a meals service, specify and tender contracts and monitor them. The Department is committed to promote the key objectives of the Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative (PSFPI) through this work.
	The key objectives of the PSFPI are to:
	(1) raise production and process standards;
	(2) increase tenders from small and local producers;
	(3) increase consumption of healthy and nutritious food;
	(4) reduce adverse environmental impacts of production and supply; and
	(5) increase capacity of small and local suppliers to meet demand.

School Meals

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate she has made of the number of schools that provide school dinners consisting of (a) organic and (b) locally-sourced food.

Derek Twigg: The Department for Education and Skills does not collect information on schools that use organic or locally-sourced foods. Following the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, responsibility for most local education authority spending is delegated to schools' governing bodies. Schools have the freedom to choose their own suppliers or providers for many services including school meals provision. If schools wish, they can use organic or locally-sourced foods.

School Meals

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to regulate the standards of meals served in schools; and if she will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: Regulations introduced in 2001 set nutritional standards for school lunches in all local education authority maintained schools in England. It is the responsibility of local education authorities or, where the budget for school meals is delegated to them, a school's governing body to ensure that these standards are met. We are currently working to strengthen the standards to reduce pupils' sugar, salt and fat intakes and increase fruit and vegetable consumption.
	The Government's White PaperChoosing Health: Making healthier choices easier set out the commitment that from September 2005 Ofsted will, through its separate programme of subject and thematic reviews, report on the contribution that every school makes to the five outcomes for children underpinning the Every Child Matters: Change for Children programme. As part of their review, Ofsted will look at healthy eating in schools, including school meals and other food and drink available on school premises.

School Meals

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance her Department has produced regarding nutritional standards for school meals.

Derek Twigg: The Department published three guidance documents in 2001 to coincide with the introduction of statutory nutritional standards. These are
	Healthy School Lunches for Students in Secondary Schools, Healthy School Lunches for Pupils in Primary Schools, and Healthy School Lunches for Pupils in Nursery Schools/Units,
	and are available at www.dfes.gov.uk/schoollunches. In addition to covering the statutory nutritional standards, the guidance covers healthy eating, good catering practice, ideas for improving service and monitoring nutritional standards.

School Meals

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will rank education authorities by the percentage of children entitled to receive free school dinners; and if she will indicate in each case the change in the percentage receiving free school meals since 199697.

Derek Twigg: The information requested has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
	As a result of Local Government Reorganisation, the geographical boundaries of some LEAs in 2004 are not directly comparable with those in 1997. In these cases, figures for 1997 have not been given.

School Sports (Crosby)

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the effects on schools of changes since 1997 on the level of investment in school sports in Crosby.

Derek Twigg: I refer my hon. Friend to the response given by the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools on 22 March 2004, Official Report, column 630W.

Schools (Data)

Eric Forth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what choice of systems software schools had in production of the 2005 pupil level annual school census data.

Stephen Twigg: holding answer 22 March 2005
	Each school has freedom of choice over which ICT systems it employs to meet its specific needs and circumstances. This applies to the school management information systems that produced the returns of 2005 pupil level annual school census data.
	Schools' choices and decisions are informed by the extensive advice and guidance provided by their local education authority, and by Becta (the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency), the Department's strategic partner in these matters.

Secondary Schools

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many secondary schools there are in (a) Bexley, (b) Bournemouth, (c) Buckinghamshire, (d) Kent, (e) Kingston upon Thames, (f) Lincolnshire, (g) Medway, (h) Poole, (i) Reading, (j) Slough, (k) Southend, (l) Sutton, (m) Torbay, (n) Trafford and (o) Wirral local education authority areas; and how many in each area are designated in performance tables as (i) comprehensive, (ii) selective and (iii) secondary modern schools.

Stephen Twigg: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Secondary schools1: Number of schools by admissions policyJanuary 2004 and May 2004
		
			   Of which(30): 
			 Local education authorities in England Total number of secondary schools(29) Comprehensive Selective Modern 
		
		
			 Bexley 16 7 4 5 
			 Bournemouth 10 2 2 6 
			 Buckinghamshire 34 0 13 21 
			 Kent 102 21 33 48 
			 Kingston upon Thames 10 0 2 8 
			 Lincolnshire 63 17 15 31 
			 Medway 19 3 6 10 
			 Poole 8 3 2 3 
			 Reading 7 5 2 0 
			 Slough 11 1 4 6 
			 Southend-on-Sea 12 4 4 4 
			 Sutton 14 9 5 0 
			 Torbay 8 5 3 0 
			 Trafford 18 0 7 11 
			 Wirral 22 11 6 5 
		
	
	(28) Includes maintained secondary schools, City Technology Colleges and Academies. Excludes middle deemed secondary schools.
	(29) Admissions policy as designated in the Secondary Achievement and Attainment Tables (formerly Performance Tables) as published in January 2005.
	(30) As reported in the Annual Schools' Census as at January 2004.
	Source:
	Annual Schools' Census and Achievement and Attainment Tables

Selective Schools

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the costs of administering entry tests were in each local education authority retaining wholly selective secondary schools in each of the last five years.

Derek Twigg: We do not collect data on the costs of administering entry tests for selective schools. The setting and administration of these tests is a matter for the relevant admission authorities.

Selective Schools

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which local education authorities her Department defines as (a) wholly selective and (b) wholly comprehensive; and if she will list for each English local education authority retaining wholly selective schools the average percentage of pupils (i) with statements, (ii) eligible for free school meals and (iii) from ethnic minorities in (A) selective schools and (B) non-selective schools in the latest year for which figures are available.

Derek Twigg: The requested information has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

Selective Schools

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total payments to Electoral Reform Services for costs incurred relating to grammar school ballots and petitions have been.

Stephen Twigg: The total cost so far for payments to Electoral Reform Services for all work on petitions and ballots is 2,346,193.40. This includes work completed on setting petition thresholds during the current accounting period.

Surplus Assets Sales

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the value of sales of surplus assets from her Department was in each year since 200001.

Derek Twigg: The Department for Education and Skills value of sales of surplus assets since 200001 is as follows:
	
		000
		
			 Financial year Net book value 
		
		
			 200001 321 
			 200102 2,843 
			 200203 111 
			 200304 951 
			 200405 (31) 
		
	
	(31) Figures not available.
	The net book values are taken from the Department for Education and Skills Resource Accounts.

Targets

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent assessment she has made of whether the public service agreement target for 60 per cent. of those aged 16 to achieve the equivalent of five GCSEs at grades A*-C by 2008 will be met.

Stephen Twigg: The Department publishes progress against all its outstanding public service agreement targets (PSAs) in its annual departmental report and autumn performance report. Progress against PSAs was most recently reported in the 2004 autumn report, published in December 2004, together with the Department's assessment towards achievement of the targets. A copy of the report is available from the House of Commons Library.
	The spending review 2004 PSA target for 60 per cent, of those aged 16 to achieve the equivalent of five GCSEs at grades A*-C by 2008 was not assessed in the autumn performance report. A statistical first release published on 12 January 2005 shows the amended figure for the percentage of pupils achieving five or more GCSEs or equivalent at grades A*-C in 2004 is 53.7 per cent.

Tomlinson Report

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the likely impact on (a) teaching standards and (b) the number of teachers of implementing the Tomlinson Report recommendations; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Twigg: We estimate that the total increases in staff numbers in schools and colleges needed to implement the reforms set out in our White Paper 1419 Education and Skills will be of the order of: 1,0001,250 college staff in teaching roles; and 1,2501,450 support staff in schools and colleges.
	We expect the standards of teaching and learning to rise as a result of our reforms. Teaching staff and school and college leaders will be fully supported by training and professional development to ensure that they are equipped with the skills to deliver the new 1419 offer.

Top-up Fees

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will estimate the cost to public funds of the subsidy provided for top-up fees in each year from 200607 to 200910; and on what assumptions this estimate is based.

Kim Howells: The exact cost of fee loans to support variable fees will depend on the precise pattern of fee charging by institutions, the way that students respond to that pattern, and the extent to which students take up the option of deferring their fees. The Department published some estimates of the costs on a steady state basis in the Regulatory Impact Assessment published alongside the Higher Education Act 2004. We have just published revised and updated estimates for the costs of the student finance policies in a ministerial written statement on 23 March 2005, Official Report, column 71WS.

University Admissions

Brian Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of school leavers entered higher education in (a) 1997 and (b) 2004, broken down by parliamentary constituency.

Kim Howells: The latest available figures on participation by constituency were published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England in January in Young Participation in England, which is available from their website at: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2005/05_03/. Participation rates for constituencies based on this work, showing figures for each year between 1997 and 2000, are given on the supporting POLAR website (www.hefce.ac.uk/polar).

Woodcraft Folk

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will publish the criteria by which the decision was taken to end grant aid to the Woodcraft Folk.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 9 March 2005
	The criteria by which all decisions on the 160 applications for funding under the National Voluntary Youth Organisation (NVYO) grant scheme were made were explicit in both the application forms and guidance notes, to assist organisations through the application process.
	The guidance notes clearly stated that applications should make a strong contribution to the achievement of the outcomes for young people set out in Every Child Matters.
	The Department looked for bids that: (this was in paragraph 13.2 of the guidance).
	were clearly focused on the outcomes identified in the guidance
	were for activities in line with those identified in the grant criteria
	identified clear and robust outcome indicators that were relevant to the outcomes the bid proposed to deliver
	clearly explained the national significance of the activity being proposed
	were realistic and deliverable.

Woodcraft Folk

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the work of the Woodcraft Folk; what grants they have received from her Department in each year since 1997; what future funding is planned; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: The organisation has received the following funding since 1997:
	
		
			  Amount () 
		
		
			 199798 39,100 
			 199899 33,000 
			 19992000 38,000 
			 200001 38,000 
			 200102 38,000 
			 200203 52,281 
			 200304 52,281 
			 200405 52,281 
			 Total 342,943 
		
	
	Source
	NVYO Grant Scheme
	As part of their participation on the National Voluntary Youth Organisation Grant Scheme running from 2002 to 2005 the Woodcraft Folk have submitted progress reports, These were judged by officials to indicate that the organisation was meeting the objectives set.
	The Woodcraft Folk submitted a bid for funding under the National Voluntary Youth Organisation Grant scheme due to run from 2005 to 2008. This scheme was run as an open competition. Participation on previous schemes was not one of the criteria used to determine funding. The bid was assessed in an open and transparent way against criteria made explicit in both the application and guidance notes for the scheme and unfortunately this time the organisation was not successful.
	There are no current plans for funding the Woodcraft Folk.

DEFENCE

Accidents

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements for monitoring accidents at work involving members of staff of his Department are in place; and if he will make a statement.

Ivor Caplin: The Ministry of Defence has a number of arrangements for monitoring accidents at work. The requirements range from the accident book procedures required by the Social Security Act, to Boards of Inquiry required by Queen's Regulations. The arrangements are contained in the MOD health and safety handbook, Joint Service Publication 375. This publication can be found on the www at http: //www.mod.uk/dsef/ohs/jsp375.htm

Armed Forces Act

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Armed Forces Act 2001 expires; and when he expects to bring forward the next Armed Forces Bill.

Ivor Caplin: The Armed Forces Act 2001 will not expire. Under this Act, however, the provisions of the Service Discipline Acts (the Army Act 1955, the Air Force Act 1955 and the Naval Discipline Act 1957) are subject to annual renewal by Order in Council, but cannot be continued in effect by this means beyond 31 December 2006. We aim to introduce an Armed Forces Bill towards the end of 2005.

Army Medal Office

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by what means he intends to dispose of the Army Medal Office in Droitwich Spa; and whether conditions will apply to the sale to ensure that the site is used only for the purposes allocated to it in Wychavon district council's local plan.

Ivor Caplin: It is expected that the site will be passed to Defence Estates for disposal before 31 March 2006.
	Consideration of future non-defence alternative uses for the site is at an early stage. However, discussions with the Local Planning Authority are in progress. As is our normal practice, the site will be marketed in a way that reflects the final planning decision following the discussions with the Local Planning Authority and sale is generally by open competition to achieve the best price reasonably obtainable.

Cancer/Leukaemia

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many deaths of (a) serving soldiers and (b) his Department's personnel have been attributable to (i) cancer and (ii) leukaemia in each of the last 20 years.

Ivor Caplin: Between 1 January 1985 and 31 December 2004, 696 regular service personnel have died of cancer while on service, 71 of which died from leukaemia.
	Information on the causes of death of civilian personnel is not collected by the Department.

Cancer/Leukaemia

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the rates of incidence of (a) cancer and (b) leukaemia in (i) serving soldiers and (ii) his Department's personnel in each of the last 20 years.

Ivor Caplin: The Department does not currently collate any information on the incidence of cancer in serving service personnel and civilian personnel.

Defence Employment (Scotland)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people worked for the Disposal Services Agency (a) in 200304 and (b) on the latest date for which figures are available; how many were employed in Scotland in each case; and what the personnel costs of the agency (i) were in 200304 and (ii) are expected to be in 200405.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the Disposal Service Agency's (DSA) Annual Report and Accounts 200304 that was laid before the House on 15 July 2004; less than five DSA staff members were employed in Scotland during this year. For the current Financial Year, 200405, the personnel costs for the agency are forecast to be in the region of 3 million. The latest personnel figures, as at March 2005, are 120 employed by the agency, of which again less than five are employed in Scotland. The increase in staff numbers this year resulted from the pre-merger process of the DSA with part of the Defence Logistics Organisation (DLO) following an End-to-End Business Process Review of the disposal process within the MOD. The additional staff will not be funded by the agency until 1 April 2005, when it transfers ownership to the DLO.

Eurofighter Typhoon

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department's entry into Table B18 of the pre-Budget report includes a contingent amount to cover expenditure connected with the purchase of all or part of Tranche 3 of the Eurofighter Typhoon.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 21 March 2005
	A decision on Tranche 3 of Eurofighter Typhoon is not required before 2007. Any expenditure associated with Tranche 3 would fall outside the period covered by the December 2004 pre-Budget report.

Freedom of Information Act

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what grounds he has concluded that there is no obligation under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to disclose correspondence on behalf of Lord Boyce of Pimlico, dated 12 March 2003, to the Legal Secretary to the Law Officers, and the subsequent response.

Geoff Hoon: holding answer 23 February 2005
	I am writing today to my hon. Friend and I shall place a copy of that letter in the Library of the House.

Harrier

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the air availability of the Harrier jet; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: During the current Financial Year, the availability of the Harrier fleet has matched or exceeded the numbers required for our commitments.

In-house Publications

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the titles of the in-house publications and newsletters which are produced for the staff of his Department, including non-departmental public bodies and agencies.

Ivor Caplin: A comprehensive list of the many in-house publications and newsletters produced for departmental staff, including those for non-departmental public bodies and agencies, is not available and could be produced only by incurring disproportionate cost.
	The principal in-house publications are: FOCUS, Paper Clips, Navy News, Soldier Magazine and RAF News. In addition the following publications and newsletters are published on the Department's intranet site:
	ACGS
	Acqknowledge
	Admin Matters
	AFF Families Journal
	AFPAA News
	Agenda for Change
	Catalyst
	CHRL Newsletter
	CinC STC
	Claims Newsletter
	Clyde-a-Scope
	Cognitio
	DARA Update
	Defence Communications Services Agency
	Defence Diplomacy Staff DIGEST
	Defence Librarian
	Devonport Link
	Devonport News
	DGMS(RAF)
	DIALog
	DII-GEST
	DLO News
	DMSD Digest
	Driving Change
	Drumbeat
	The ECC Newsletter
	EH! (Engineering Hygiene Guide)
	Equipment Support Management Bulletin
	ESTATEment
	42!
	The Gas Times
	Gulf Update
	Harmonisation News
	Harrier IPT Newsletter
	HM Newsletter
	HMS NELSON BLC Newsletter
	Homeport
	Housing Matters
	HRMS
	Inform
	JOB Opportunities
	KIT! Magazine
	Land Equipment Technical Bulletin
	Landscape Magazine
	Land Support Strategy
	LOGS Newsletter
	Major Accident Control Regulations
	MBRNews
	Medical Support Officer News
	MOD Police Newsletter and Information Page
	Modernising Defence Management
	Money Matters
	Mountain Rescue Service Newsletter
	NewsPayPer
	Number 3 Group HQ
	Officerlife
	Partnering News
	PAYD Newsletter
	People Matters
	Policy Bulletin
	PPA Updates
	PPP Newsletter
	Project Alexander
	Project SLAM
	RAF Dental branch
	RAF Medical and Dental Accreditation Team
	RAF Medical Services Trde Group 15
	RAF Mountaineering Association (RAFMA)
	RAF Uxbridge Personnel Bulletin
	Risky Business
	Root Issues
	Safety and Environment
	Sandy Times
	Ships Telegraph
	Smart Acquisition Update
	Team Tornado
	Threat Briefing
	In addition, the following publication is produced by the Royal Marines museum, one of the Department's non-departmental public bodies:
	Museum News

Merchant Navy

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures he has taken to ensure that a sufficient merchant navy fleet within the UK to be drawn upon at times of conflict is maintained.

Adam Ingram: The availability of suitable merchant shipping is collated on a regular basis from updated information provided by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency on the UK registered fleet. The MOD supports this work.

Nuclear Test Veterans

Betty Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether a health study has been carried out by the Government since 1975 on veterans of the British Nuclear Test Programme.

Ivor Caplin: holding answer 22 March 2005
	The National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB)as part of their continuing studies concerning nuclear test veteranshas carried out a health study into cancer incidence. The latest of their ReportsNRPB Report W-27 entitled Mortality and Cancer Incidence 19521998 in UK Participants in the UK Atmospheric Nuclear Weapons Tests and Experimental Programmes (2003)concluded that overall levels of mortality and cancer incidence in UK nuclear weapons test participants have continued to be similar to those in a matched control group, and overall mortality to be lower than expected from national rates.

Overseas Military Training

Robert Wareing: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list countries to which members of the British armed forces were deployed to give military training and advice during the period 2001 to 2004.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 14 March 2005
	During the period 2001 to 2004, members of the British armed forces were deployed to give military training and advice to 92 countries. A complete list of countries is set out as follows.
	Countries where members of the British armed forces were deployed to give military training and advice: period 200104:
	Afghanistan
	Albania
	Angola
	Antarctica
	Antigua
	Argentina
	Australia
	Austria
	Bahrain
	Barbados
	Belgium
	Bermuda
	Bosnia
	Botswana
	Brazil
	Brunei
	Bulgaria
	Canada
	Chile
	China
	Columbia
	Congo (DR)
	Croatia
	Cyprus
	Czech Republic
	Denmark
	Estonia
	Egypt
	Ethiopia
	Falkland Islands
	Finland
	France
	Georgia
	Germany
	Ghana
	Greece
	Guatemala
	Hungary
	India
	Indonesia
	Iraq
	Ireland
	Israel
	Italy
	Jamaica
	Japan
	Jordan
	Kazakhstan
	Kenya
	Korea
	Kuwait
	Latvia
	Lebanon
	Lithuania
	Macedonia
	Malaysia
	Morocco
	Nepal
	Netherlands
	New Zealand
	Nigeria
	Norway
	Oman
	Pakistan
	Philippines
	Poland
	Portugal
	Qatar
	Romania
	Russia
	Saudi Arabia
	Serbia and Montenegro
	Sierra Leone
	Singapore
	Slovakia
	Slovenia
	South Africa
	Spain
	Sri Lanka
	Sweden
	Switzerland
	Syria
	Thailand
	Turkey
	UAE
	Uganda
	Ukraine
	USA
	Uzbekistan
	Venezuela
	Zimbabwe

Parachutists

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many serving soldiers in the parachute regiments come from abroad.

Ivor Caplin: The number of soldiers serving in the Parachute Regiment with a non-British nationality is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Battalions: The Parachute Regiment Strength 
		
		
			 1st 20 
			 2nd 25 
			 3rd 20 
			 Total 70 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The figures quoted are as at 1 January 2005 and are for UK Regular Trained Army soldiers only and therefore exclude TA, Mobilised Reserves, Full-Time Reserve Service, Gurkhas and Home Service Battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment.
	2. The strength figures do not include soldiers in the Parachute Regiment that are serving outside the battalion, or personnel from other cap badges that are attached to the battalion.
	3. In addition to the figures there are 15 Parachute Regiment soldiers serving outside the battalions whose nationality is not British.
	4. We cannot be precise about the strength in each battalion as the means by which these data are collected does not allow for separate attribution. The split is derived from an estimate based on the strength by Unit Identity Number.
	5. All figures have been rounded to the nearest five. Totals are rounded separately and therefore may not equal the sum of their parts.

RAF Job Losses (Scotland)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the effects of job cuts at (a) RAF Lossiemouth and (b) RAF Kinloss announced by his Department on 10 March; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 21 March 2005
	My written ministerial statement on 10 March outlined the proposed reductions in the number of Service and civilian posts as a result of the end-to-end review of logistics processes for military aircraft support.
	For RAF Lossiemouth, this will mean a reduction in the number of Service posts by 700 and, subject to Trades Union consultation, a reduction in the number of civilian posts by 35.
	For RAF Kinloss, this will mean a reduction in the number of Service posts by 180 and, subject to Trades Union consultation, a reduction in the number of civilian posts by 20.
	I recognise that this may be disappointing news for the local community, but the proposed changes in working practices and force structure will improve the effectiveness and efficiency of logistic support within the RAF.

RAF Job Losses (Scotland)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans have been put in place to minimise the impact of job losses at (a) RAF Kinloss and (b) RAF Lossiemouth announced by his Department on 10 March; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 21 March 2005
	The impact on personnel of the reduction in the number of posts will be managed primarily through voluntary staff transfers, natural wastage and a voluntary release scheme. The Ministry of Defence will manage the reductions in the number of civilian posts in consultation with Trades Unions.
	These reductions form part of the Service and civilian manpower reductions that were announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 21 July 2004.

RAF Recruits (Ethnic Monitoring)

Parmjit Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of recruits to the Royal Air Force were (a) Asian, (b) black, (c) white and (d) from other ethnic groups in each year since 1997.

Ivor Caplin: The following table shows the proportional RAF airmen intake from civil life by ethnic origin for financial years 199899 to 200405. Reliable data are not available prior to this.
	Ethnicity data have been collected on joining the armed forces using categories based on population census definitions. The definitions used in the population census were changed in 2001. Table 1 is based on 1991 census codes and table 2 is based on 2001 census codes.
	It should be noted that no intake data are shown for 200102 as the only data available are based on a mixture of new and old codes.
	Figures for 200203 onwards are not directly comparable with previous years' figures as the 2001 population census codes included a mixed category. This explains the increase in proportion of the 'other' category.
	
		Table 1
		
			 Percentage 
			 Ethnic origin 199899 19992000 200001 
		
		
			 White 96.6 97.5 98.0 
			 Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi 0.3 0.3 0.4 
			 Black Caribbean, African, other 0.4 0.5 0.8 
			 Other 0.5 0.4 0.5 
			 Not known 2.2 1.4 0.3 
		
	
	
		Table 2
		
			 Percentage 
			 Ethnic origin 200203 200304 200405(32) 
		
		
			 White 97.4 97.7 95.5 
			 Asian Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, other 0.3 0.2 0.3 
			 Black Caribbean, African, other 0.6 0.4 0.7 
			 Other 1.3 1.0 1.3 
			 Not known 0.4 0.7 2.2 
		
	
	(32) Figures for 200405 cover the year up to 31 December 2004.
	Figures are for UK regular forces, both trained and untrained. They therefore exclude full time reserve service personnel and mobilised reservists.
	Figures for RAF officers are not available due to low coverage of ethnic origin classification.

Removals Costs

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of UK to UK removals was in the financial year ended (a) 4 April 1994 and (b) 4 April 2004; and how many moves took place in each case.

Ivor Caplin: holding answer 24 February 2005
	There were some 12,527 UK Service removals during financial year 200304 at a cost of 18.850 million. These figures are subject to final audit. Records are no longer held regarding removals which took place during financial year 199394.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Accidents

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many accidents occurred at his departmental premises in each of the last five years involving (a) members of his Department's staff and (b) members of the public;
	(2)  whether he publishes data for the number of accidents at work involving employees of his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: Available data on accidents is provided in the following table. Data prior to the periods covered is not available.
	
		
			 Accidents involving: 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 Members of the Department's staff 4,488 4,034 4,577 
			 Members of the public 58 72 135 
			 Total 4,546 4,106 4,712 
		
	
	Data for 2004 includes, for the first time, former Employment Service work places and therefore reflects additional estate, staffing and customer levels. This accounts for the increase in the number of accidents reported against the previous year.
	We are currently in the process of developing a health and safety annual report for the business year 200506. This will be published after April 2006. The report will cover a range of health and safety performance data, including data on accidents to departmental staff and customers.

Accidents

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what arrangements for monitoring accidents at work involving members of staff of his Department are in place; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: Accidents are systematically monitored to identify their immediate and underlying causes and any trends. Lessons learnt are fed back into the operation of the Department's business. Monitoring takes place at a local level to identify ways to minimise recurrence. Monitoring is also regularly discussed at local, regional and national health and safety committee meetings involving managers and trades union representatives.

Asylum Seekers

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department has spent on each type of benefit paid to asylum seekers in each year since 1992 in (a) cash and (b) real terms; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Pond: The available information is in the tables.
	
		Asylum seeker spending by benefit since 1994 cash terms
		
			  million 
			  Housing benefit Council tax benefit Income support Total 
		
		
			 199495 180.0 10.0 170.0 360.0 
			 199596 205.0 10.0 195.0 410.0 
			 199697 195.0 10.0 190.0 395.0 
			 199798 145.0 10.0 150.0 305.0 
			 199899 120.0 10.0 150.0 280.0 
			 19992000 100.0 5.0 140.0 245.0 
			 200001 75.0 5.0 100.0 180.0 
			 200102 35.0 5.0 55.0 95.0 
			 200203 35.0 5.0 30.0 70.0 
			 200304 15.0 0.0 15.0 30.0 
			 200405 5.0 0.0 5.0 10.0 
		
	
	
		Asylum seeker spending by benefit since 1994real terms(33)
		
			  million 
			  Housing benefit Council tax benefit Income support Total 
		
		
			 199495 235.0 10.0 225.0 475.0 
			 199596 265.0 15.0 250.0 530.0 
			 199697 240.0 15.0 235.0 490.0 
			 199798 180.0 10.0 180.0 370.0 
			 199899 145.0 10.0 175.0 330.0 
			 19992000 115.0 10.0 160.0 285.0 
			 200001 85.0 5.0 110.0 205.0 
			 200102 40.0 5.0 60.0 105.0 
			 200203 35.0 5.0 35.0 75.0 
			 200304 15.0 0.0 15.0 35.0 
			 200405 5.0 0.0 5.0 10.0 
		
	
	(33) 200506 prices.
	Notes:
	1. From April 1999 DWP expenditure on payments to asylum seekers were reimbursed by the National Asylum Support Service (MASS).
	2. From April 2000 responsibility for supporting asylum seekers passed to the NASS.
	3. Numbers of asylum seekers entitled to DWP benefits are declining as the stock of asylum seekers with decisions outstanding at April 2000 reduces.
	4. Information on benefit expenditure is estimated using administrative data supplied by local benefit offices (IS) and local authorities (HB and CTB).
	5. Information on benefit payments to asylum seekers not available prior to 199495.
	6. Expenditure is rounded to the nearest 5 million.
	7. Real terms figures are provided in 200506 pricesusing HMTs GDP deflator (updated by ONS 16 March 2005).

Benefit Sanctions

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which employment schemes and pilot schemes may impose benefit sanctions for non-compliance with their conditions; and how many participants on each scheme have received such sanctions during the previous 12 months.

Jane Kennedy: Jobseeker's allowance is paid to people between jobs to provide the safety net of a secure level of income. Payment of benefit can be withheld for a specific period when jobseekers unreasonably cause or prolong their unemployment, by, for example, refusing to participate in or take up offers of support available through a range of employment and training programmes. Decisions on benefit sanctions are taken by Jobcentre Plus Decisions Makers and there is a right of appeal against such decisions.
	The employment and training programmes, including pilot programmes, for which customers can have benefit sanctions applied for non-compliance are: New Deal for Young People; New Deal 25 plus; the mandatory Gateway to Work pilots and mandatory Intensive Activity Period for 50 to 59-year-olds currently operating within New Deal 25 plus; Employment Zones; StepUP, and the mandatory Basic Skills Training pilots.
	In the period April 2004 to January 2005, 872 people received a benefit sanction through the Basic Skills Training pilots. 56 people have appealed against the decision to apply a sanction and the result of the appeals are outstanding.
	Information on benefit sanctions in relation to the other programmes is only available broken down by the total number of sanctions imposed on participants on New Deal for Young People and the total number of sanctions imposed on participants of the remaining programmes, rather than the number of individuals who have had a benefit sanction imposed.
	In the 12-month period to the end of March 2004 (latest available figures) 12,816 jobseeker's allowance sanctions were imposed in relation to the New Deal for Young People programme, and 29,654 jobseeker's allowance sanctions were imposed for other programmes. Information broken down by programme other than New Deal for Young People is not available.

Benefits

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total value of (a) attendance allowance and (b) disability living allowance payments to people over retirement age living in the City of York local authority area was in (i) 199697 and (ii) 200405.

Maria Eagle: The total value of attendance allowance and disability living allowance payments to people over retirement age living in the City of York local authority area was 8.4 million in 199697 and is estimated to be 13.9 million in 200405.
	Note:
	Benefit expenditure forecast information is published on the Internet at: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/expenditure.asp
	Source:
	Expenditure has been taken from departmental accounting systems and has been apportioned using Quarterly Statistical Enquiry data for the relevant benefits, and which is based on a 5 per cent. sample and therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation.

Benefits

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department paid in Wales in (a) incapacity benefit, (b) state pensions, (c) pension credit and (d) winter fuel payments in the last year for which figures are available.

Chris Pond: The information is in the following table.
	
		200304: expenditure in Wales,  millions, nominal terms
		
			  () 
		
		
			 Incapacity benefit 1,000 
			 State pensions 2,520 
			 Pension credit 277 
			 Winter fuel payments 107 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. All figures have been rounded to the nearest million pounds.
	2. Incapacity benefit includes expenditure on working age claimants of incapacity benefit, severe disablement allowance and income support (long-term sick/disabled and short-term sick). The figure includes a small number of people who are not claiming incapacity benefit (payment or credits) or severe disablement allowance.
	3. State pensions expenditure includes basic state pension, additional state pension, non-contributory state pension and graduated retirement benefit.
	4. Pension credit expenditure includes both the guarantee credit and the savings credit.
	5. Winter fuel expenditure includes the basic winter fuel payment and the over 80s payment, which was introduced in 200304.
	6. Figures are consistent with the pre-budget report 2004 and with expenditure information published on the internet at http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/expenditure.asp (tables 1, 3 and 7). These tables will shortly be updated with budget 2005 figures.
	Source:
	Expenditure has been taken from departmental accounting systems and has been apportioned using Quarterly Statistical Inquiry data, from 200304, for the relevant benefits. All of this data is based on a 5 per cent. sample and therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation, with the exception of winter fuel expenditure which has been calculated from 100 per cent. samples.

Benefits

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were in receipt of each state benefit in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland, (c) England and (d) Wales in each of the last three years; and how much was paid out for each benefit in each case in each year.

Chris Pond: The information will be published at the same time as Benefit Expenditure tables, consistent with Budget 2005, and uploaded onto the Department for Work and Pensions website. A publication date will be made available, and posted on the website address as soon as possible.
	Note:
	Benefit Expenditure tables are published on the Department for Work and Pensions website at: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/expenditure.asp.

Bognor Regis Office Closure

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the proposed closure of his Department's office in Bognor Regis.

Jane Kennedy: There are no plans to close the Jobcentre Plus office at Bognor Regis.

Carbon Monoxide

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to undertake national advertising television campaigns to alert people to the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Jane Kennedy: The Government are actively involved in raising awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning by means other than national television campaigns. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) arranged for the Council for Registered Gas Installers (CORGI) to run a publicity campaign in February 2005 to raise awareness about CO poisoning targeted at vulnerable groups of the young and the elderly. That campaign reached an estimated 11,000 GP surgeries and 4 million people through radio.
	The Department of Health has additionally produced a new leaflet about domestic carbon monoxide poisoning that is endorsed by HSE, industry and the registered charity CO-Gas Safety.

Carbon Monoxide

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to reduce deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning in the home.

Jane Kennedy: The domestic gas safety regime, overseen by the Health and Safety Executive has been progressively tightened. This has included new gas safety legislation, new competence requirements for gas installers and substantial public investment in publicising carbon monoxide (CO) dangers.
	The number of reported gas-related CO poisoning fatalities shows a welcome downward trend. In 200304 the number of such fatalities was the lowest on record. We have agreed an innovative programme with HSC/E aimed at sustaining this position by developing new ways for partnering with relevant stakeholders to secure continuing consumer gas safety through sensible approach to risk.

Carbon Monoxide

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions he has had with the Health and Safety Executive on the action it plans to take to reduce the number of deaths caused by carbon monoxide in the home.

Jane Kennedy: I have regular meetings with senior representatives of HSC/E to consider progress across the broad range of their business. I have not recently met them on the specific issue of gas-related carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. However, I am regularly briefed in writing on gas safety matters and take a close interest in how the downward trend in CO poisoning fatalities can be sustained.

CSA

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when Clare Jackson, the constituent of the hon. Member for Bassetlaw referred to in a letter sent on 11 January will receive (a) a maintenance calculation and (b) a maintenance payment.

Chris Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to my hon. Friend with the information requested.
	Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. John Mann, dated 24 March 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when Clare Jackson the constituent of the honourable Member for Bassetlaw referred to in a letter sent on 11th January will receive (a) a maintenance calculation and (b) a maintenance payment.
	As details about individual cases are confidential I will write to you separately about this case.

CSA

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of Child Support Agency cases are within each of the three new colour code bands.

Chris Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Child Support Agency, Doug Smith. He will write to my hon. Friend.
	Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. John Mann, dated 24 March 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what percentage of Child Support Agency cases are within each of the three new colour code bands.
	The clerical cases team at our office at Nottingham Chalfont Drive use a colour code system in order to prioritise their workloads. This is a local initiative, which is intended to streamline the progression of cases. The current figures are as follows:
	
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			 216 red cases 22 
			 297 amber cases 31 
			 457 green cases 47 
		
	
	There are no plans to roll this process out nationally.

Departmental Phone Lines

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of callers to his Department's office in Hastings in the week beginning 14 March encountered the engaged tone.

Malcolm Wicks: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, David Anderson. He will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from David Anderson to Mr. Nick Gibb
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning what percentage of callers to his Department's office in Hastings in the last week encountered the engaged tone. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Customers calling Hastings Jobcentre Plus contact centre to make a claim for a working age benefit would not have received the engaged tone. If all operators are busy the calls are placed in a queue and an appropriate message is played.
	If customers in the Hastings area wish to talk to someone about any other Jobcentre Plus matter they can telephone their local office, either at Bognor Regis or Littlehampton. We do not have any information on the number of callers who encountered the engaged tone when ringing these offices.
	I hope this is helpful.

Departmental Phone Lines

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what telephone answering system is in place at his Department's Hastings office for people making benefit claims by telephone.

Malcolm Wicks: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, David Anderson. He will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from David Anderson to Mr. Nick Gibb, dated 24 March 2005
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning what telephone answering system is in place at his Department's Hastings office for people making benefit claims by telephone. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	A single number is provided for customers of working age wishing to make a claim to benefit in the Hastings area. This number is for a contact centre where staff ask customers a series of questions to assess their potential eligibility to Jobcentre Plus benefits and then arrange to call the customer back at a mutually agreed time to assist in the completion of a claim form. There is no answer phone service. If all operators are busy, calls are placed in a queue and an appropriate message is placed on incoming calls.
	The Hastings contact centre takes calls from customers in the Surrey and Sussex areas.
	I hope this is helpful.

Financial Assistance Scheme

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the cost of administering the financial assistance scheme (FAS) will be met from within the 20 million annual allocation to the FAS; and what estimate he has made of the annual cost of administering the FAS.

Malcolm Wicks: The cost of administering the financial assistance scheme (FAS) will not be met from the 20 million annual allocation for FAS payments. Instead it will be funded from DWP's existing administration resources. There is still some detailed planning to be done, particularly on the detailed process design and its effect on both IT requirements and individual job design, which will affect the estimates of administration costs and exact costs will depend on the number of applications for assistance that are made.

Financial Assistance Scheme

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his oral statement of 23 February 2005, Official Report, column 628, on the Financial Assistance Scheme, how many of the pension schemes to be covered by the Financial Assistance Scheme provided some indexation of post-retirement benefits to scheme members.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 7 March 2005
	The recent data collection exercise for the Financial Assistance Scheme did not request details of indexation within schemes therefore the specific information requested is not available.
	There was no statutory requirement for schemes to index pensions before April 1997 (except in respect of some rights in contracted out schemes), although some schemes did so.
	As most schemes eligible for the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) will have started to wind up after April 1997 they are likely to have some members with a small proportion of rights subject to statutory indexation. On the other hand, as I made clear in my statement of 22 February 2005, Official Report, column 18WS, the FAS will initially apply to older workers within three years of scheme pension age. For those older workers it is likely that the majority of their rights will have accrued before April 1997, when the statutory indexation requirement referred to came in.

Financial Assistance Scheme

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will include the expanded metal pension scheme in the indicative list of schemes potentially eligible for the financial assistance scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 17 March 2005, Official Report, column 425W.

Jobcentre Plus (Dorset)

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what plans he has to change training programmes on offer through Jobcentre Plus in Dorset;
	(2)  whether he expects that clients due to start in the week beginning 14 March programmes for self-employment training in Dorset funded by Jobcentre Plus will be able to complete their training; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  whether it is his policy that programmes of self-employment training supported by Jobcentre Plus are promoted equally in all counties in the south-west region; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 22 March 2005
	The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, David Anderson. He will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from David Anderson to Mrs. Annette Brooke, dated 24 March 2005
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions concerning the plans he has to change training programmes on offer through Jobcentre Plus in Dorset; whether clients due to start in the week beginning 14 March on programmes for self-employment training in Dorset funded by Jobcentre Plus will be able to complete their training, and whether it is his policy that programmes of self employment training supported by Jobcentre Plus are promoted equally in all counties in the South West Region. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	In answer to your first question, Jobcentre Plus is currently considering its future strategy around contracting for programmes including training and self-employment support. We need to take account of the Department for Work and Pensions' recently published 5 year strategy and an increased priority on helping those who are out of work because of sickness or disability and lone parents.
	We are currently in the process of extending current contracts where appropriate, with a view to inviting tenders to compete for new contracts from Autumn 2005. We are clear that with fewer people unemployed and a greater emphasis on providing support to disabled people through the New Deal for Disabled People and the Pathways to Work pilots, we need to review our contracts and focus support on those who need the most help.
	Dorset and Somerset District will communicate any emerging strategy to their local stakeholders and partners as soon as possible.
	In answer to your second question, we have offered to temporarily extend the Self Employment contract in Dorset in order to ensure that clients currently engaged in training, and those who were due to start this month, can complete their current stage of training. If providers chose not to extend their contracts then this will affect clients and we will try to find alternative solutions to enable these clients to complete their training.
	Finally moving to your third question, decisions to extend contracts are made at local level, taking into account local labour market needs and provider performance against agreed outcome targets, to ensure that sufficient capacity is maintained to deliver both policy intent and meet local needs.
	A more detailed future strategy for Self Employment training will become clearer once the national contracting strategy is available.
	I hope this is helpful.

New Deal

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) south Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK have been helped by the new deal in each year since its inception.

Jane Kennedy: The available information is in the tables.
	
		New deal in Jarrow and south Tyneside
		
			 Number 
			  Jarrow South Tyneside 
			  Individuals starting new deal Individuals gaining a job Individuals starting new deal Individuals gaining a job 
		
		
			 1998 760 180 3,610 860 
			 1999 820 440 3,540 1,680 
			 2000 700 530 2,700 2,070 
			 2001 710 540 3,410 2,300 
			 2002 680 520 4,170 2,670 
			 2003 810 530 4,330 3,020 
			 2004 850 500 4,590 2,970 
		
	
	
		New deal in the North East and Great Britain
		
			 Number 
			  North East Great Britain 
			  Individuals starting new deal Individuals gaining a job Individuals starting new deal Individuals gaining a job 
		
		
			 1998 22,770 4,390 298,650 63,660 
			 1999 24,800 11,800 350,760 165,130 
			 2000 16,970 13,790 250,390 194,970 
			 2001 19,070 14,850 263,450 194,900 
			 2002 21,980 16,070 310,610 214,270 
			 2003 23,170 16,690 331,720 212,190 
			 2004 25,980 16,620 384,000 224,950 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. New deal for young people started in January 1998; New deal 25 plus started in July 1998; new deal for lone parents started in October 1998; new deal 50 plus started in April 2000; new deal for disabled people started in July 2001; new deal for partners started in April 1999 but information broken down by geography and year is only available from April 2002.
	2. Figures for Jarrow do not include new deal for disabled people and new deal for partners as they are not available at constituency level.
	3. South Tyneside data is for the Jobcentre Plus district of Gateshead and south Tyneside.
	4. All data is based on calendar years and is to the end of December 2004 apart from new deal for partners which is to March 2004.
	5. Information is for Great Britain rather than the UK as the Departments new deals do not operate in Northern Ireland.
	6. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
	Source:
	DWP Information Directorate

New Deal

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) young people, (b) lone parents and (c) older people have participated in the new deal in Cleethorpes constituency.

Jane Kennedy: The information is in the following table.
	
		New deal in Cleethorpes
		
			  People starting new deal People into jobs through new deal 
		
		
			 Young people(34) 1,900 1,290 
			 Lone parents(35) 1,200 690 
			 Older peoplenew deal 25 plus and new deal for lone parents(36) 230 70 
			 Older peoplenew deal 50 plus employment credit starts up to March 2003(37) 290 290 
			 Older peoplenew deal 50 plus from April 2003(38)  90 
		
	
	(34) Information relates to the number of people aged 1824 who have started new deal for young people and new deal for lone parents and those gaining a job through these programmes.
	(35) Information relates to the number of lone parents who have started new deal for lone parents and those gaining a job through the programme.
	(36) Information relates to people aged 50 and over who have started new deal 25 plus and new deal for lone parents and those gaining a job through these programmes.
	(37) Information relates to people aged 50 who claimed the new deal 50 plus employment credit up to the end of March 2003.
	(38) Information relates to people aged 50 and over who have gained a job through new deal 50 plus since April 2003. Starts information is not available from April 2003 to date.
	Notes:
	1. Information for new deal for disabled people and new deal for partners is not available at constituency level.
	2. New deal for young people started in January 1998; new deal for lone parents started in October 1998; new deal 50 plus started in April 2000.
	3. Some individuals may be counted more than once in these figures.
	4. All data is to December 2004.
	5. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	Source:
	DWP Information Directorate

Pensions

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on (a) male and (b) female recipients of the (i) basic state pension, (ii) SERPS and (iii) pension credit in 200304; and how many recipients there were of each.

Malcolm Wicks: The requested information is in the table.
	
		Great Britain 200304
		
			 Expenditure,  millions, cash terms 
		
		
			  (i) Basic state pension (ii) SERPS (iii) Pension credit 
			 (a) Male 16,801 4,727 1,953 
			 (b) Female 22,978 1,951 2,840 
		
	
	
		Recipients, 000
		
			  (i) Basic state pension (ii) SERPS (iii) Pension credit 
		
		
			 (a) Male 4,241 3,597 761 
			 (b) Female 7,011 3,572 1,405 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. All expenditure figures have been rounded to the nearest million pounds. Expenditure recorded on the department's accounting systems has been apportioned between males and females using a 5 per cent. sample of administrative records.
	2. All caseload figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand, and are based on a 5 per cent. sample of administrative records.
	3. A basic state tension is paid to those who fully or partially satisfy the contribution conditions for a category A or category B basic state pension.
	4. Category D retirement pensions are not included in the figures.
	5. The SERFS (state earnings-related pension scheme) figure also includes amounts for state second pension and graduated retirement benefit.
	6. Basic state pension and SERPS expenditure includes pensions paid to people living overseas.
	7. Pension credit expenditure includes both the guarantee credit and the savings credit. As pension credit was only introduced on 6 October 2003, the 200304 expenditure quoted relates only to half a year.
	8. Figures are consistent with the Pre-Budget Report 2004 and with expenditure information published on the Internet at http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/expenditure.asp (table 3). These tables will shortly be updated with Budget 2005 figures.
	Source:
	Departmental accounts data and 5 per cent. samples of departmental administrative records.

Pensions

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average state pension for a pensioner living in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK has been in each year since 1997.

Malcolm Wicks: The available information is in the table.
	
		 weekly average
		
			  Jarrow parliamentary constituency South Tyneside local authority North East GOR Great Britain 
		
		
			 September 199762.90 
			 March 199863.23 
			 September 1999 68.60 67.82 68.41 68.95 
			 September 2000 70.01 69.36 69.99 70.53 
			 September 2001 75.59 75.06 75.51 76.07 
			 September 2002 79.57 79.13 79.12 79.71 
			 September 2003 82.52 82.26 81.83 82.43 
			 September 2004 86.36 85.71 84.93 85.55 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are taken from a five per cent. sample and are therefore subject to a high degree of sampling variation.
	2. Figures prior to 1999 are only available for Great Britain. There are no figures for September 1998 so March 1998 figures have been provided.
	3. State pension means Category A, B, C or D state pension or graduated retirement benefit.
	4. Parliamentary constituencies and local authority areas are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant Office for National Statistics postcode directory.
	5. North East GOR is the North East Government Office Region which includes: the unitary authorities of Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, and Stockton on Tees; authorities in DurhamChester-le-Street, Derwentside, Durham, Easington, Sedgefield, Teesdale and Wear Valley; authorities in NorthumberlandAlnwick, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Blyth Valley, Castle Morpeth, Tynedale and Wansbeck; and authorities in the Metropolitan county of Tyne and WearGateshead, Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Sunderland).
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre, five per cent. sample for 30 September or 31 March for the years shown.

Pensions

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total value of basic state pension payments paid to pensioners in the city of York local authority area was in 199697; what the total value of such payments would have been in 200405 if the basic state pension had been increased in line with (a) prices and (b) wages between 199697 and 200405; and what he estimates the total value of (i) basic state pension payments, (ii) pension credit payments, (iii) winter fuel payments, (iv) council tax 100 payments and (v) free television licences to the over 75s in that area will be in 200405.

Malcolm Wicks: Basic state pension expenditure information is not available at constituency or local authority level before 19992000, so it is not possible to state the total value of basic state pension payments to pensioners in the city of York local authority area in 199697.
	However, it has been possible to calculate that if the basic state pension had been increased in line with (a) prices and (b) wages between 199697 and 200405, the total value of such payments in 200405 would have been (a) 127.6 million and (b) 145.9 million respectively.
	The other available information is in the following table.
	
		200405 city Of York local authority area expenditure,  million, cash terms
		
			  () 
		
		
			 Basic state pension payments 136.9 
			 Pension credit payments 11.0 
			 Winter fuel payments 6.5 
			 Council tax 100 payments 1.7 
			 Free television licences to over 75s payments 1.4 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. All figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred thousand pounds.
	2. Expenditure for basic state pension and pension credit has been apportioned using 200405 Quarterly Statistical Inquiry data.
	3. Figures for expenditure on basic state pension exclude people receiving Category C or Category D pension only, additional state pension only or graduated retirement benefit only.
	4. Pension credit expenditure includes both the guarantee credit and the savings credit.
	5. 200405 Quarterly Statistical Inquiry data is not yet available for winter fuel, council tax 100 payments or free television licence expenditure. Therefore, 200304 data has been used. It has been assumed that the City of York's proportion of the Great Britain total (United Kingdom in the case of free television licence expenditure) would be very similar in 200304 and 200405.
	6. Winter fuel expenditure includes the basic winter fuel payment and the Over 80s payment, which was introduced in 200304.
	7. Council tax 100 payments has been interpreted to mean the over 70s payment introduced in 200405.
	8. Free television licence expenditure data is not available at a local level within the Department. The expenditure has been estimated using the number of households where there is one or more people aged 75 or over, according to the Department's winter fuel payments database, and the estimated cost of free television licences in 200405.
	9. Figures are consistent with the pre-budget report 2004 and with expenditure information published on the internet at http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/expenditure.asp (table3). These tables will shortly be updated with budget 2005 figures.
	Source:
	Expenditure is based on departmental forecasts underpinning the pre-budget report and has been apportioned using Quarterly Statistical Inquiry data, from 200304 or 200405, for the relevant benefits. The data is based on a 5 per cent. sample, and therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation, with the exception of winter fuel, council tax 100 payments and free television licence expenditure which have been calculated from 100 per cent. samples.

Stourbridge

Debra Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to Stourbridge constituency, the effects on the constituency of changes to his Department's policies since 1997.

Jane Kennedy: We have undertaken a fundamental overhaul of the welfare system, transforming it to an active system that fights poverty, creates opportunity and helps people become self-sufficient and independent.
	Since 2001, the Government have significantly extended and improved civil rights for disabled people in areas such as employment, education, access to goods and services and transport. Disabled people in Stourbridge will have benefited from these improvements in disability rights. Similarly, families with severely disabled three and four-year-old children who are unable, or virtually unable to walk will have benefited from the Government's decision to lower the minimum age entitlement to the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance from April 2001, while older and less well off carers have gained extra help through the provisions within the National Carers Strategy.
	In 200203 we estimate there were around 10 million adults (22 per cent.) and 0.7 million children (5 per cent.) in Great Britain likely to be covered by the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).
	The figures can be broken down to regional level which shows that 21 per cent. of adults and 6 per cent. of children in West Midlands region are likely to be covered by the provisions of the DDA.
	Information on the numbers of customers in Stourbridge who are in receipt of disability living allowance (DLA) and attendance allowance (AA) is in the table.
	
		Stourbridge
		
			 Operational year DLA/AA recipients 
		
		
			 2001 5,200 
			 2002 5,400 
			 2003 5,700 
			 2004 6,100 
		
	
	Source:
	DWP Information Centre. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 and are from a 5 per cent. sample at 30 November each year.
	Through Jobcentre Plus, we are promoting work as the best form of welfare for people of working age. The number of people in work is at historically high levels of over 28.5 million; in Stourbridge, the proportion in employment has risen to 76.7 per cent.
	Our new deals have helped lone parents, the young unemployed, the long-term unemployed, disabled people, the over 50s and partners of unemployed people to move from benefit into work. Nationally over 1.25 million people have been helped into work by the new deals, with over 1,680 in Stourbridge alone.
	Significant progress has been made in eradicating child poverty and the latest figures (for 200203) show that, in the UK, there were over half a million fewer children in relative low income than there were in 199697. Since 200102 incomes for lone parents in receipt of benefit have risen by more than prices or the cost of living. In April 2005 the child allowance rate in income support for a child up to 18 years old will have been increased by 40 per cent. since 200102. Child rates in income support and jobseeker's allowance are also being increased above inflation in April 2005 in line with child tax credit uprating. All of this has benefited 1,400 families in Stourbridge.
	We want all pensioners to have a decent and secure income in retirement and to share fairly in the rising prosperity of the country and our first priority has been to help the poorest pensioners. The Government will be spending nearly 10 billon more in 200405 (in 200405 prices) on pensioners as a result of measures introduced since 1997, with around half going to the poorest third.
	Our reforms include the state second pension, which helps more future pensioners build up better pensions, especially carers. Pension credit, introduced from October 2003, provides a contribution to a guaranteed minimum income for those aged 60 and over and, for the first time, those over aged 65 and over may be rewarded for savings and income. As of December 2004, around 4,290 pensioners in Stourbridge are receiving pension credit, with an average award of 39.26 per week.
	We know that older people are disproportionately affected by fuel poverty. This winter (200405) we have again made available a winter fuel payment of 200 for each eligible household with someone aged 60 or over and 300 to those with someone aged 80 or over to help with their fuel bills. Additionally, for this year, eligible households with someone aged 70 or over will receive the one-off 70 plus payment of 100 to help with living expenses including council tax bills. It is paid with the winter fuel payment.
	The constituency data on winter fuel payments and the additional 80 plus annual payment is available in the Library.
	Since 1997 single pensioners and pensioner couples have seen a real terms increase in their basic state pension of 7 per cent. and 8 per cent., respectively. Some 16,300 pensioners in Stourbridge have benefited from this increase.

Surplus Assets Sales

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department sold any surplus stock on the eBay auction website, in each year since 200001.

Jane Kennedy: No.

Tamworth

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in Tamworth receive attendance allowance.

Maria Eagle: The administration of attendance allowance is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Disability and Carers Service, Mr. Terry Moran. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Terry Moran to Mr. Brian Jenkins, dated 24 March 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Disability and Carers Service, the Minister for Disabled People, Maria Eagle MP, on behalf of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners in Tamworth receive attendance allowance.
	As at November 2004, there were 2.0 thousand attendance allowance recipients in Tamworth Parliamentary Constituency.
	Notes:
	1. Figure taken from a 5 per cent. sample and therefore subject to sampling error.
	2. Number has been rounded to the nearest hundred and expressed in thousands.
	3. Only AA cases in payment have been included.
	4. Parliamentary Constituencies have been allocated using the relevant ONS postcode directory.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre, 5 per cent. sample.
	I hope this is helpful.

Vaccine Damage

Ross Cranston: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many payments were made by the predecessors of his Department to victims of vaccine damage between 1975 and the introduction of the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979.

Maria Eagle: 75 payments were made to victims of vaccine damage under the extra statutory scheme that preceded the 1979 Vaccine Damage Payment Act. These 75 payments were made following announcement of the extra statutory scheme on 9 May 1978. No payments were made prior to this date.

Winter Fuel Payments

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have benefited from winter fuel payments in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the north-east and (d) the UK since their inception.

Malcolm Wicks: Information on the number of people in the Jarrow constituency, South Tyneside, the north-east and Great Britain who have benefited from winter fuel payments in each year for which figures are available is in the Library. Information on payments made in Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

HEALTH

Accident and Emergency Departments

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether it is his policy that payments under the accident and emergency capital incentive scheme should benefit the accident and emergency department itself; and whether he has issued guidance on the issue.

Rosie Winterton: The incentive scheme was designed to recognise and reward the efforts of national health service trusts in improving accident and emergency performance. The transformation in accident and emergency services that they have brought about reflects not just the work of accident and emergency departments themselves, but a range of other departments working across the hospital and beyond. We therefore deliberately gave trusts flexibility to decide how best to spend incentive scheme monies.
	The only guidance issued in relation to the payment was that the money be spent in consultation with their lead primary care trust.

Accident and Emergency Departments

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many ward beds are available for accident and emergency admissions for the Weston area health trust.

Rosie Winterton: The number of ward beds that are available for accident and emergency admissions at the Weston area health trust is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number available 
		
		
			 Total 370 
			 Acute 324 
			 Geriatric 28 
			 Mental illness  
			 Learning disability  
			 Maternity 18

Abortion

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many babies have (a) survived and (b) been born alive following abortion since 1991;
	(2)  what methods are used to record incidences where babies (a) survive abortion and (b) are born alive following abortion.

Melanie Johnson: Under the Abortion Act 1967, as amended, any registered medical practitioner who terminates a pregnancy is required to notify the Chief Medical Officer. The abortion notification form does not collect information on whether the foetus survived the abortion.
	When a foetus is born which shows signs of life and subsequently dies, the birth and death must be registered in the district where the birth and death happened.

Alzheimer's Disease

Paul Truswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients he estimates would be affected by the implementation of the recommendation by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence that Reminyl, Aricept and Exelon should not be prescribed to NHS patients with Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

Rosie Winterton: The draft appraisal of drugs for Alzheimer's disease published recently National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) is a consultation document and does not constitute the institute's final advice to the national health service. NICE will issue a final version of the revised guidance later in the year, after considering responses to its consultation. Until then, NICE's original 2001 appraisal continues to apply.

Alzheimer's Disease

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with primary care trusts which do not make available the full range of drugs for treatment of Alzheimer's disease approved by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence.

Stephen Ladyman: The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has recently issued for consultation a revised version of its technology appraisal on drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. I have had no specific discussions with primary care trusts about compliance with the existing NICE guidance. Until NICE issues a final version of this new guidance, its original 2001 appraisal continues to apply.
	The Government have now submitted their response to the current consultation and a copy has been placed in the Library.

Alzheimer's Disease

Jane Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the measures of cost-effectiveness applied by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence in evaluating whether acetylcholinesterase inhibitors should continue to be available to treat sufferers from Alzheimer's disease;
	(2)  what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors in improving cognitive and global outcomes for sufferers from Alzheimer's disease.

Rosie Winterton: The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) published its draft technology appraisal guidance on drugs for Alzheimer's disease for consultation on 1 March 2005. NICE is an independent body with an internationally recognised reputation for the robustness of its technology appraisal development process. The Department responded to NICE'S consultation on the guidance on the 22 March and a copy of the response is available in the Library. NICE will be issuing a final version of this new guidance later in the year, after considering responses to its consultation. Until then, the recommendations in NICE's original 2001 appraisal continue to apply.

Alzheimer's Disease

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department defines dementia as a long-term neurological condition; and whether the principles of the National Service Framework for Long-Term Conditions apply to the care and treatment of people with dementia.

Stephen Ladyman: Although the National Service Framework (NSF) for Long-term Conditions focuses on people with neurological conditions, much of the guidance it offers can apply to anyone living with a long-term, progressive condition such as dementia. Commissioners are, therefore, encouraged to use this NSF in planning service developments for people with other long-term conditions.

Alzheimer's Disease

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what criteria the National Institute for Clinical Excellence used to determine the appropriateness of drugs for use in the treatment of dementia; and what assessment has been made of the impact of the withdrawal of these drugs on people suffering with dementia;
	(2)  what assessment he makes of (a) cost and (b) clinical need in the determination of the allocation of drugs.

Rosie Winterton: Information on the process by which the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) conducts its technology appraisals, and the factors it takes into account, are available on the Institute's website at www.nice.nhs.uk. NICE is an independent body with an internationally recognised reputation for the robustness of its technology appraisal development process. NICE published its draft technology appraisal guidance on drugs for Alzheimer's disease for consultation on 1 March 2005 and the Institute will be issuing a final version of this new guidance later in the year, after considering responses to its consultation. Until then, the recommendations in NICE'S original 2001 appraisal continue to apply.
	The Department does not allocate drugs. The Department allocates revenue resources to primary care trusts on the basis of the size of the population it serves, the need for health care of the population and unavoidable differences in the cost of providing health care.

Arthritis

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce an NHS National Service Framework for (a) inflammatory arthritis, (b) osteoarthritis and (c) psoriatic arthritis.

Stephen Ladyman: In recognition of the need for a greater focus on the needs of the 17 million people with long-term conditions, including arthritis, the Government has already published this year:
	Supporting People with Long Term Conditions (LTCs)
	Self Care a Real Choice
	Liberating the talents of nurses who care for people with LTCsdescribing the new clinical function of community matrons.
	The national service framework for people with LTCs.
	As part of this work on LTCs, it is intended to publish best practice guidance on musculoskeletal conditions, which include inflammatory arthritis, osteoarthritis and; psoriatic arthritis, later this year. The work is being developed with a wide range of stakeholders including the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance.

Arthritis

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital admissions there were for (a) inflammatory arthritis and (b) psoriatic arthritis in the last year for which figures are available.

Stephen Ladyman: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		Counts of finished admission episodes for selected diagnoses on admission. national health service hospitals, England 200304
		
			 Condition Total 
		
		
			 Inflammatory arthritis 55,960 
			 Psoriatic arthritis 2,488 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.
	2. The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (seven prior to 200203) diagnosis fields in the hospital episode statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.
	3. Diagnosis codes used:
	(a) Inflammatory arthritis M05M14 Inflammatory Polyarthropathies.
	(b) Psoriatic arthritisPrimary: L40.5 Arthropathic psoriasis.
	4. As well as the primary diagnosis, there are up to 13 (six prior to 200203) secondary diagnosis fields in HES that show other diagnoses relevant to the episode of care.
	5. Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).
	Source:
	HES, Department of Health.

Arthritis

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many children in England suffer from juvenile idiopathic arthritis;
	(2)  how many adults in England suffer from (a) inflammatory arthritis, (b) psoriatic arthritis and (c) moderate to severe osteoarthritis of hands, knees or hips.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department does not routinely and comprehensively collect the data requested.
	Epidemiological data for arthritis is, in the main, collected in surveys or from registers, the main sources being Government, academic institutions and charitable organisations.
	We are aware that the Arthritis Research Council, a respected major charity, commissioned a large scale study of epidemiological data on arthritis. The Department has not validated its findings. However, it showed that:
	At least 4.4 million people in the United Kingdom have x-ray evidence of moderate to severe osteoarthritis of the hands; 0.55 million of the knees and 0.21 million of the hips 1 .
	Approximately 387,000 people are estimated to have rheumatoid arthritis (one of the inflammatory arthritides).
	Around 12,000 children in the UK have juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
	1 Source: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey [NHANES] survey, United States of America.

Asthma

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding he has made available for research into asthma and related conditions in each year since 1997.

Stephen Ladyman: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs. Gillan) on 16 December 2004, Official Report, columns 130810W.

Care (Statistics)

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many episodes of care relating to (a) health visiting, (b) community nursing, (c) district nursing, (d) community psychiatric nursing, (e) community learning disability nursing, (f) specialist care nursing, (g) chiropody services, (h) clinical psychology, (i) occupational therapy, (j) physiotherapy, (k) speech and language therapy and (l) community dental services there were in each year since 199091.

John Hutton: Information for 199091 to 199697 is available in fig. 7.2 of the Departmental Report 2001 and for 199798 to 200203 in fig. 7.2 of the Departmental Report 2004. Copies of these reports are available in the Library. Figures for 200304 are shown in the table. These figures do not include episodes of care given by certain specialist care nurses or those given by staff employed by social services.
	
		Episodes of care relating to community nursing, dental and cross sector therapy services, England, 200304(39)
		
			  Number (Thousand) 
		
		
			 Health visiting 3,000 
			 Of which:  
			 Community nursing services (total) 2,600 
			 District nursing 2,000 
			 Community mental health nursing 330 
			 Community learning disability nursing 24 
			 Specialist care nursing 330 
			 Chiropody services 790 
			 Clinical psychology(40) n/a 
			 Occupational therapy 1,270 
			 Physiotherapy 4,300 
			 Speech and language therapy 340 
			 Community dental services(41) n/a 
		
	
	n/a = Not available.
	(39) Number of new episodes commenced in the year except health visiting (number of different persons seen at least once in a year) and community dental services (number of episodes of care commenced in year)
	(40) Data collection discontinued from 200304.
	(41) 200304 data not yet available.

Charities

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will conduct research into the effects of late payments from his Department on charities, with particular reference to their ability to fulfil the contract at the specified levels.

Stephen Ladyman: We do not consider that research into the effects of late payments is necessary.
	The Department acknowledges that late payments may have an impact on charities and voluntary organisations. We support and have taken on board the good practice guidance on procurement of services from the voluntary and community sector published by the Home Office and the Compact Code of Practice on Funding, both of which emphasise the importance of prompt payment within payment procedures.
	The Section 64 General Scheme of Grants represents the greatest single source of grant funding from the Department to the voluntary sector. The Department may also contract with voluntary organisations for a specific service outside the Section 64 scheme.
	The majority of Section 64 grants are paid in quarterly instalments starting when the organisation has formally accepted the grant conditions and the project has started. Payments in subsequent years are made following receipt of financial and monitoring information as specified in the conditions. Payment schedules are notified to the organisations.
	The Department's general payment policy is that, where there is no contractual provision or other understanding or accepted practice governing the time of payment, the Department should pay within 30 days of receipt of goods and services, or of the presentation of a valid invoice or similar demand for payment, whichever is the later. Our records show that over 90 per cent. of invoices in the current financial year have been paid in accordance with this policy.

Continuing Care

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his written evidence to the Health Select Committee of 24 January, whether all strategic health authorities in England have completed and cleared their pre-April 2004 backlog of cases where individuals were wrongly assessed to pay for continuing care.

Stephen Ladyman: holding answer 7 March 2005
	In total, the national health service has now completed over 10,744 investigations into retrospective funding for continuing care. Nationwide, there are only 15 outstanding cases that were logged before 1 April 2004. Their delay has been due to a number of reasons such as staff sickness, problems with locating notes from the independent sector and new information being made available. In addition, the review of some of these cases was delayed at the request of the patient or the patient's representative. The Department is working closely with strategic health authorities to ensure that these cases are completed as soon as possible.

Continuing Care

Andrew Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are receiving NHS continuing care in each strategic health authority in England.

Stephen Ladyman: The most recent available data are for March 2004. The reported number of people in each strategic health authority (SHA) in England receiving national health service continuing care at that time is shown in the table.
	
		People receiving continuing care: March 2004
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 England (estimated)(42) 19,984 
			 By SHA:  
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 435 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 830 
			 Essex 698 
			 North West London 1,468 
			 North Central London 320 
			 North East London 733 
			 South East London 580 
			 South West London 433 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 1,081 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley 1,374 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire 705 
			 West Yorkshire 688 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 376 
			 Greater Manchester 984 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside 1,074 
			 Thames Valley 632 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 530 
			 Kent and Medway 770 
			 Surrey and Sussex 719 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 741 
			 South West Peninsula 516 
			 Somerset and Dorset 241 
			 South Yorkshire 192 
			 Trent 928 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland 215 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire 663 
			 Birmingham and the Black Country 1,107 
			 Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire 690 
		
	
	(42) The estimated England figure does not equal the sum of the 28 SHAs listed in the table. This is because the following organisations did not return data in 200304:
	5LC Westminster Primary Care Trust (PCT)
	5A2 Norwich PCT.
	5KR North and East Cornwall PCT.
	Notes:
	The figures include people receiving NHS fully funded physical and mental health care over an extended period of time, as the result of disability, accident or illness. This can be in a NHS hospital, care home or peoples' own homes.
	The figures exclude hospital admissions, people receiving intermediate care, NHS funded nursing care in a care home or any package of care jointly funded with social services.

Continuing Care

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what methodology was used to calculate the estimate of 180 million to compensate those who did not receive NHS Continuing Care.

Stephen Ladyman: Additional funding was provided for continuing care on the basis of information provided to the Department by strategic health authorities after an assessment by primary care trusts of the likely level of local claims.

Departmental Budget

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the planned (a) capital and (b) resource budget for his Department is for 201112.

John Hutton: Budgets are set for Government Departments in the spending review held every two years. The most recent spending review in 2004 set budgets up to 200708. The Department's departmental expenditure limits for 200708 as set in the last spending review are 88.9 billion revenue and 6.3 billion capital.

Pudsey

Paul Truswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to Pudsey constituency, the effects of changes to departmental policy since 1997 on Pudsey constituency.

Melanie Johnson: The Government have put in place a programme of national health service investment and reform since 1997 to improve service delivery in all parts of the United Kingdom. There is significant evidence that these policies have yielded considerable benefits for the Pudsey constituency.
	For example:
	At the end of January 2005, the number of people waiting more than nine months for inpatient treatment within Leeds North West Primary Care Trust (PCT) had fallen to 0, from 230 in June 2002.
	At the end of December 2004 the number of patients waiting over 13 weeks for out-patient treatment within Leeds North West PCT had fallen to 201, from 928 in June 2002.
	Figures for December 2004 show that all patients within Leeds North West PCT are able to be offered an appointment with a primary care professional within two working days, an improvement from 85.7 per cent. in June 2002.
	Leeds North West PCTs financial allocation increased to 158.3 million for 200405 a real terms increase of 6.4 per cent.
	In June 2003, at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, 88.7 per cent. of patients spent less than four hours in accident and emergency from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge. Figures for December 2004 show an improvement to 93 per cent.
	Between September 2000 and September 2003 the number of consultants at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has increased from 437 to 538. The number of nurses increased from 4,461 to 4,783.
	In the Leeds local authority area death rates from cancer per 100,000 population have fallen to 196.3 in 2003, from 203.3 in 1997.
	In the Leeds local authority area death rates from coronary heart disease per 100,000 population have fallen to 127.5 in 2003, from 156.6 in 1997.
	In November 2003, an additional computed tomography (CT) scanner was delivered to Cookridge hospital.
	In March 2002, a replacement CT scanner was delivered to Leeds General Infirmary.
	In June 2002, an additional CT scanner was delivered to Cookridge hospital.
	In April 2001, an additional magnetic resonance imaging scanner was delivered to Cookridge hospital.
	In October 2001, two replacement linear accelerators were delivered to Cookridge hospital.
	In February 2003, a replacement cardiac catheter laboratory was delivered to Cookridge hospital.
	In November 2004, one additional and one replacement linear accelerator were delivered to the Yorkshire Regional Centre for Cancer. Two replacement linear accelerators will be delivered in September 2006.
	The Joint Local Investment Finance Trust scheme, involving Leeds West PCT, Leeds North West PCT, Leeds North East PCT, East Leeds PCT and South Leeds PCT, with a capital value of 19.7 million. The scheme includes two GP practices plus addiction services, midwifery and school nursing for Woodhouse Primary Care Centre, two general practitioner (GP) practices, health visiting, speech therapy and addiction services for Armley Primary Care Centre and four GP practices, district nursing, health visiting and midwifery for Dewsbury Road Centre.
	Source:
	Department of Health, Office of National Statistics

Departmental Staff

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the staff complement for his Department was in each of the last nine years.

Rosie Winterton: Information on the staff complement for the Department for the last nine years is shown in the table. This information is available at www.civilservice.gov.uk/management information/statistical information/statistics/archived data/archived data on staff in post/index.asp.
	
		
			  As at 1 April Number full-time equivalent permanent staff 
		
		
			 2004 2,750 
			 2003 3,150 
			 2002 3,440 
			 2001 3,640 
			 2000 3,570 
			 1999 3,543 
			 1998 3,491 
			 1997 3,683 
			 1996 3,732

Digital Hearing Aids

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many NHS trusts have the necessary (a) facilities and (b) staff to fit digital hearing aids;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the process for assessing the quality of audiology services in hospitals;
	(3)  what measures were taken to prepare primary care trusts for the modernising hearing aid services programme; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what plans he has to collate centrally statistics on waiting times relating to the modernising hearing aid service project; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department has invested 125 million into the modernising hearing aid services (MHAS) project since it started in September 2000. This project is being managed on behalf of the Department by the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID).
	All national health service audiology departments, which are part of the MHAS project, within England have a named lead primary care trust (PCT) which acts on behalf of all those PCTs which commission audiology services from each NHS trust.
	In spring 2004, the RNID undertook a comprehensive series of 26 seminars across England to promote the benefits of the MHAS project. All PCTs and strategic health authorities were invited to attend these events.
	95 per cent. of all NHS audiology departments in England are fitting digital hearing aids routinely to those people they have diagnosed as suitable and the few remaining departments will be offering the service by the end of March 2005.
	The Healthcare Commission is responsible for regulating and inspecting NHS services, including audiology services.
	There are no plans to centrally collate statistics on waiting times.

Drug Users

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of problematic drug users are in treatment; and how many were in treatment on average in each of the last five years.

Melanie Johnson: The percentage of problematic drug users that are in treatment, in England in 200304, is estimated to be around 45 per cent. 1
	The number of people in treatment for drug misuse during the year in England is shown in the table.
	1 This estimate is based upon:
	The estimated figure of around 281,000 problematic drug users in England and Wales (Godfrey C, Eaton G, McDougall C  Culyer A (2002). The Economic and Social Costs of Class A Drug Use in England and Wales, 2000. Home Office Research Study 249.)
	The assumption that problematic drug use levels in the population are the same in England and Wales Resident population estimates for England, 49.9 million, and Wales, 2.9 million, for 2003.
	The 126,000 figure and methodology for numbers in treatment in England in 200304 Key statistics on drug misusers in treatment, England 200304, available at http://www.nta.nhs.uk.
	The assumption that all people in treatment are problematic drug users.
	
		
			  Number of people in treatment 
		
		
			 19992000 Not available 
			 200001 118,500 
			 200102 (43)128,200 
			 200203 (43)140,900 
			 200304 (44)154,000 
		
	
	(43) Provisional data.
	(44) This figure is used to allow for a more accurate comparison with previous years. As explained in: Bridging exercise comparing drug misuse treatment data 200203 and 200304, available at http://www.nta.nhs.uk, the method of measuring contact with drug treatment services has been changed and the definition tightened since data was collected in 200203. Based on the new methodology introduced in 200304, the total number of people actually recorded as being in contact with structured drug treatment in 200304 was 125,913. This figure is the total number of individuals whose treatment falls within the definition of structured drug treatment as defined by NTA's Models of Care as treatment following assessment and delivered according to a care plan, with clear goals, which is regularly reviewed with the client. This figure is used to produce the percentage data.

Eye Tests

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost was of eye tests carried out on the NHS to (a) individuals and (b) the NHS in (i) 1979 and (ii) 1997.

Rosie Winterton: Sight tests provided by the national health service were free in 1979. An optometrist who carried out a sight test under the general ophthalmic services between 1 January to 31 December 1979 would have received a fee of 4.25. An ophthalmic medical practitioner who carried out a sight test under the general ophthalmic services between 1 April 1979 to 31 March 1980 would have received a fee of 3.40.
	In 1997 sight tests provided by the NHS were free to children under 16, those aged 1618 in full-time education, people on low incomes, individuals predisposed to eye disease, those registered blind or partially sighted and people who have a complex prescription. An optometrist who carried out a sight test under the general ophthalmic service between 1 April 1997 to 31 March 1998 received a fee of 14.10. An ophthalmic medical practitioner who carried out a sight test under the general ophthalmic services would have received a fee of 12.51 from 1 April 1997 and 14.10 from 1 December 1997.

Genito-Urinary Medicine

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of genito-urinary medicine clinics that offer an HIV test to clinic attendees on their first screening for sexually transmitted diseases.

Melanie Johnson: Data on the number of genito-urinary medicine clinics that offer an HIV test to clinic attendees on their first screening for sexually transmitted diseases is not held centrally.

Gluten Intolerance

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will list gluten-free products available on an NHS prescription for patients who are intolerant of gluten;
	(2)  what guidance on gluten-free diets is made available by his Department to general practitioners;
	(3)  what information is provided to patients by the NHS on (a) symptoms, (b) treatment and (c) dietary recommendations for people with gluten intolerance;
	(4)  how many people (a) were estimated to have and (b) had been diagnosed with a gluten intolerance on the latest date for which figures are available.

Stephen Ladyman: The data on numbers diagnosed with coeliac disease are not available. Coeliac UK estimates that the average incidence in the United Kingdom is one in a hundred.
	Advice on food intolerance, including advice on how to avoid certain ingredients when shopping for food or eating out, is available on the Food Standards Agency's website at www.food.gov.uk and also at its consumer advice and information website at www.eatwell.gov.uk.
	We have no specific plans to raise awareness of the condition among the medical profession. The Department is not responsible for setting curriculum's for general practitioners; that is rightly the responsibility of the statutory and professional bodies. However, we do share a commitment with those bodies that all general practitioners are trained so that they have the skills and knowledge to deliver a high quality health service to all groups of the population with whom they deal.
	All the gluten free products available on national health service prescription on the recommendation of the advisory committee on borderline substances are listed in Part XV of the Drug Tariff, which is published monthly by The Stationery Office, a copy of which is available in the Library.

Great Ormond Street Hospital

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations have been cancelled at the Great Ormond Street hospital in the 200405 financial year.

Stephen Ladyman: Published data for cancelled operations are available for 2004 to December 2004 (the latest available data). Great Ormond Street hospital has had 74 last-minute cancellations for non-clinical reasons.
	Based on data from the previous year, we can estimate that 9,611 inpatient operations were performed without cancellation during the same period.

Health Services (Leicester, South)

Parmjit Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people received NHS treatment in Leicester, South in each year since 1997.

Stephen Ladyman: The information requested is not available in the format requested.

Health Services (Leicester, South)

Parmjit Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentist surgeries there have been in Leicester, South in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: Leicester, South is served by Leicester City West Primary Care Trust (PCT) and Eastern Leicester PCT.
	The number of dental practices in these PCT areas, for the years 1997 to 2004 is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Eastern Leicester Leicester City West 
		
		
			 1997 41 18 
			 1998 40 18 
			 1999 41 20 
			 2000 40 20 
			 2001 41 19 
			 2002 38 19 
			 2003 39 19 
			 2004 39 19 
		
	
	Source:
	Dental Practice Board

Health Services (Leicester, South)

Parmjit Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) nursing and (b) residential homes for the elderly there have been in Leicester, South in each year since 1997.

Stephen Ladyman: Data are not available for the area requested. Information on the number of care homes for people aged 65 or over and for all adults aged 18 and over in Leicestershire at 31 March for the years 1997 to 2001 is shown in the table.
	I understand from the chair of the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) that figures for later years were collected by the National Care Standards Commission, and now CSCI, but comparable details are not available.
	
		Number of residential and nursing homes in Leicestershire(45), 1997 to 2001
		
			  Residential(46) Nursing(46)(5507610047)  
			 At 31 March 65 and over Total 65 and over Total Total 
		
		
			 1997 270 430 n/a n/a n/a 
			 1998 220 390 n/a 70 670 
			 1999 190 340 n/a 70 610 
			 2000 190 350 n/a 60 600 
			 2001 190 370 n/a 60 620 
		
	
	n/a = data not available.
	(45) Nursing care relates to Leicestershire health authority; residential care relates to Leicester unitary authority and Leicestershire council with social services responsibilities; data from 1998 onwards combine Leicestershire county council and Leicester unitary authority.
	(46) Dual registered homes are excluded from residential care but are included under nursing care.
	(47) Nursing home figures include places in general nursing homes, mental nursing homes, private hospitals and clinics.
	Note:
	Figures may not sum due to rounding.

Health Services (York)

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were waiting for elective in-patient admission to York Hospitals NHS Trust (a) in total, (b) for less than three months, (c) for three to five months, (d) for six to eight months and (e) for nine to 11 months; and what the median waiting time in months was (i) in May 1997 and (ii) at the latest date for which figures are available.

Melanie Johnson: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Patients waiting for admission by month waiting: York Hospitals National Health Service Trust
		
			  March 1997 January 2005 
		
		
			 02 months 3,708 3,183 
			 35 months 1,821 1,620 
			 68 months 876 700 
			 911 months 441 0 
			 Total patients waiting 6,846 5,503 
			 Median wait (weeks) 12.0 11.0 
		
	
	Source:
	KH07 quarterly return, monthly monitoring return.

Influenza Pandemic Plan

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence he has received on the effectiveness of stockpiling oseltamivir in reducing the impact of an influenza pandemic.

Melanie Johnson: The Department has reviewed published evidence based on the effectiveness of antiviral drugs, including that from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, together with estimates of their likely effect during an influenza pandemic.

Health Statistics (Shrewsbury and Atcham)

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) nursing and (b) residential homes for the elderly there were in Shrewsbury and Atcham in each year since 1997.

Stephen Ladyman: Data are not available for the area requested. Information on the number of care homes for people aged 65 or over and for all adults aged 18 and over in Shropshire at 31 March for the years 1997 to 2001 is shown in the table.
	I understand from the Chair of the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) that figures for later years were collected by the National Care Standards Commission, and now CSCI, but comparable details are not available.
	
		Number of residential and nursing homes in Shropshire(48), 1997 to 2001
		
			  Residential(49) Nursing(49)(5507610050) 
			 At 31 March 65 and over Total 65 and over Total Total 
		
		
			 1997 100 210 n/a n/a n/a 
			 1998 130 240 n/a 60 420 
			 1999 100 200 n/a 60 350 
			 2000 100 200 n/a 60 360 
			 2001 80 190 n/a 50 320 
		
	
	n/a = Data not available.
	(48) Nursing care relates to Shropshire health authority. Residential care relates to Shropshire council with social services responsibilities. For 1999 onwards, residential data combines Shropshire county council and Telford and Wrekin unitary authority.
	(49) Dual registered homes are excluded from residential care, but are included under nursing care.
	(50) Nursing home figures include places in general nursing homes, mental nursing homes, private hospitals and clinics.
	Note:
	Figures may not sum due to rounding.

Healthcare Commission

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 27 January 2005, Official Report, column 553W, on the Healthcare Commission, how the Healthcare Commission has increased its capacity to handle the increased level of referrals; and how many cases are outstanding.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 17 March 2005
	I understand from the Chairman of the Healthcare Commission that it has continued to receive a large number of requests from patients wanting their complaints independently reviewed, and is on track to receive about 9,000 complaints in the first year of this activity. This is up from 3,000 cases in 2003 under the previous system.
	The Healthcare Commission has increased capacity by bringing in interim teams to help to deal with the complaints, and will have more than doubled the number of full-time permanent staff to 110 by the summer. Between 30 July 2004 and 28 February 2005, the Healthcare Commission received 5,338 requests for independent review, is reviewing 2,624 and has closed 877. A further 1,887 are outstanding.

Healthcare Commission

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the resourcing of the complaints handling function of the Healthcare Commission.

John Hutton: I understand from the Chairman of the Healthcare Commission that it has continued to receive a large number of requests from patients wanting their complaint independently reviewed, and is on track to receive about 9,000 complaints in the first year of this activity. This is up from 3,000 cases in 2003 under the previous system. The Healthcare Commission has increased capacity by bringing in interim teams to help to deal with the complaints, and will have increased the number of staff devoted to this function to 110 by the summer.

IVF

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many IVF embryos were (a) created, (b) created for research purposes and (c) donated for research purposes between 1991 and 2004.

Melanie Johnson: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised me that between 1991 and 2004, 1,950,757 embryos were created, of which 78,505 were donated for research purposes. Data on embryos created for research is not routinely collected by the HFEA. However, information obtained by the HFEA from licensed centres suggests that approximately 370 embryos have been created for research purposes since 1991.
	Data on the HFEA's register is currently being audited to improve the accuracy of the information available. It may, therefore, be subject to further amendment following completion of the modernisation programme in March 2006.

Leeds Community and Mental Health Trust

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 21 February 2005, Official Report, column 162W, on Leeds Community and Mental Health Trust, whether the bed occupancy rate for 200304 includes patients occupying the beds of other patients on leave.

Melanie Johnson: Bed availability and occupancy are measured at midnight so by definition there cannot be more than one patient occupying a bed. A bed allocated to a patient on home leave would be recorded as not available and therefore not occupied. If the bed is subsequently made available for another patient, it would be recorded as available and occupied. In this way, occupancy never exceeds 100 per cent.

Low Birth Weight Babies

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the rate of low birth-weight babies in England compared with other countries in Western Europe.

Stephen Ladyman: The incidence of low birth-weight babies has increased across Europe, particularly in England, which has a high incidence. In part, this is the result of advances in maternal and neonatal care which save premature babies who would not have survived in the past. There are also a number of avoidable causal factors associated with low birth-weight, which we are addressing through a range of initiatives to promote access to wholesome nutrition, enhanced health care prior to and during pregnancy and the adoption of healthier lifestyle choices.

McKinsey and Company

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money has been paid to McKinsey and Company by NHS trusts seeking to secure foundation status in the past 12 months.

John Hutton: The Department provides a programme of support, including direct financial support to applicants preparing for national health service foundation trust status. It does not, however, hold information on the level of resources or the way in which resources are used by applicants in preparing for foundation status, as it is for each trust to determine how resources are best spent. Costs vary from trust to trust depending on individual circumstances of the organisation and its state of readiness.

Mental Health

Parmjit Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many mental health beds have been available in Leicester, South in each year since 1997.

Stephen Ladyman: The average daily numbers of available beds by sector for the years 1997 to 2004 are shown in the table.
	
		
			  National health service trust Total General and acute Acute Geriatric Mental illness Learning disability Maternity 
		
		
			 199798 Leicestershire Mental Health Service NHS Trust 515515   
			  Fosse Health, Leics. Community NHS Trust 570 408 171 237 48 114  
			 199899 Leicestershire Mental Health Service NHS Trust 516516   
			 19992000 Leicestershire and Rutland Healthcare NHS Trust(51) 1,087 407 171 237 565 114  
			 200001 Leicestershire and Rutland Healthcare NHS Trust(51) 1,421 401 240 161 765 255  
			 200102 Leicestershire and Rutland Healthcare NHS Trust(51) 921662 259  
			 200203 Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust 871612 259  
			 200304 Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust 887628 258  
		
	
	(51) Leicestershire Mental Health Service NHS Trust and Fosse Health, Leics. Community NHS Trust were dissolved in 1999. Leicestershire and Rutland Healthcare NHS Trust became Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust in 2002.
	Source:
	Department of Health form KH03.

Mental Health

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the change in the number of mental health patients presenting at accident and emergency departments over the last eight years; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The Department has not made a formal assessment of changes in the number of patients attending accident and emergency departments with mental health problems. However, we have encouraged local services to make improvements in the support available for people in mental health crises and we published guidance for A and E staff that provides practical support to improve the care of patients with mental ill health who access emergency care services. The guidance is available on the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publicat ions/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/PublicationsPoli cyAndGuidanceArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=408141 5chk=PZrfPQ
	In addition, the Department provided incentive money in the current financial year for trusts that made progress to integrate elements of their crisis services. 80 per cent. of trusts were awarded the one-off payment of 200,000 following an assessment of their progress and performance by strategic health authorities.

Mental Health

Paul Truswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff were employed by the Leeds Community and Mental Health Trust and its successor trust in each year since 1992, broken down by staff group.

Melanie Johnson: The information is not available in the format requested.
	A new system of occupation coding for national health service non-medical staff was introduced in 1995. Data prior to 1995 is not directly comparable with later years.
	
		NHS hospital, public health medicine and community health services (HCHS) medical and non-medical staff, in the Leeds Community and Mental Health Service Teaching NHS Trust (RGD) by main staff group as at 30 September each year -- Numbers (headcount)
		
			  1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 
		
		
			 All Staff 3,823 4,058 3,849 3,727 3,885 
			 Of which:  
			 All medical and dental staff 161 209 174 165 220 
			 Total non-medical staff (HCHS only) 3,662 3,849 3,675 3,562 3,665 
			   
			 Professionally qualified clinical staff total 1,651 1,724 1,755 1,758 1,802 
			 Qualified nursing 1,334 1,378 1,400 1,367 1,404 
			 Qualified STT 317 346 355 391 398 
			   
			 Support to clinical staff total 1,301 1,369 1,137 1,070 1,150 
			 Support to doctors and nurses 1,227 1,294 1,065 1,000 1,086 
			 Support to STT staff 74 70 68 66 61 
			 Support to ambulance staff 0 5 4 4 3 
			   
			 NHS infrastructure support 691 742 769 723 704 
			 Central functions 405 458 450 428 423 
			 Hotel, property and estates 208 201 238 227 210 
			 Senior managers and managers 78 83 81 68 71 
			   
			 Other/unknown staff total 19 14 14 11 9 
		
	
	
		Numbers (headcount)
		
			  2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 All Staff 4,048 4,396 2,369 2,455 2,724 
			 Of which:  
			 All medical and dental staff 218 219 209 156 181 
			 Total non-medical staff (HCHS only) 3,830 4,177 2,160 2,299 2,543 
			 Professionally qualified clinical staff total 1,820 1,996 903 992 1,021 
			 Qualified nursing 1,412 1,516 718 813 820 
			 Qualified STT 408 480 185 179 201 
			   
			 Support to clinical staff total 1,265 1,319 696 819 1,010 
			 Support to doctors and nurses 1,197 1,238 677 804 996 
			 Support to STT staff 63 75 19 15 14 
			 Support to ambulance staff 5 6 0 0 0 
			   
			 NHS infrastructure support 736 857 561 488 512 
			 Central functions 444 520 262 256 296 
			 Hotel, property and estates 203 211 183 150 138 
			 Senior managers and managers 89 126 116 82 78 
			   
			 Other/unknown staff total 9 5 0 0 0 
		
	
	Note:
	The numbers of staff dropped from 2001 to 2002 due to services transferring out to various PCTs in the Leeds area.
	Source:
	Department of Health medical and dental workforce census
	Department of Health non-medical workforce census

Mental Health Tribunals

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent changes have been made to the location of mental health tribunals sittings for patients of the Humber mental health teaching NHS trust; and for what reasons the changes were made.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 23 March 2005
	All units in Humber mental health teaching national health service trust have their mental health review tribunals organised by one Mental Health Act Administrator, who works in a separate unit. The tribunals take place at the hospitals where the patient is detained in line with other trusts.

Mental Health Tribunals

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients of the Humber mental health teaching NHS trust subject to sectioning did not have their tribunal hearings within the designated time limit under the 1983 Mental Health Act in the last 12 months.

Melanie Johnson: holding 23 March 2005
	All mental health review tribunals (MHRTs) are listed, in the first instance, within statutory time scales.
	A small number of patients do not subsequently have their cases heard within time limits due to factors outside the Tribunal Secretariat's control. These include requests by the responsible authority or patient's representative for an alternative hearing date. Tribunals can also be adjourned by the MHRT panel members when they convene at the hearing. The MHRT is an independent judicial body and the Secretariat has no influence over these decisions to adjourn.

Midwives

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many midwives were employed by the NHS in the last year for which figures are available.

John Hutton: holding answer 22 March 2005
	As at September 2004, there were 24,844 midwives employed in the national health service, an increase of 2,459 since 1997.

Mobile Phones (Under-fives)

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the health effects of mobile phones on the under-fives.

Melanie Johnson: The Mobile Telecommunication and Health Research (MTHR) programme set up following the Stewart Report in 2000 is jointly funded by Government and industry under the aegis of an independent scientific management committee. One study in this programme is investigating the risk of early childhood cancer among the population residing near mobile phone base stations, although all the studies are relevant to populations of any age. A brief description of all the studies can be found on the MTHR website at www.mthr.org.
	The National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) continually monitors and evaluates research into potential health effects from mobile phone technologies on behalf of Government. The NRPB's independent Advisory Group on Non-ionising Radiation issued a comprehensive review entitled Health Effects from Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields (docs. of the NRPB, vol. 14, no. 2, 2003). This report noted that little had been published specifically on childhood exposures to radiofrequency. The World Health Organization has prioritised research recommendations for studies on children and electromagnetic fields including those from mobile phone technologies. Further information is available from the World Health Organisation website at: www.who.int/peh-emf/research/children/en/index4.html.

MRI Scans

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2005, Official Report, column 693W, on MRI scans, if he will place the representations he received in the Library.

John Hutton: holding answer 8 March 2005
	No. The representations received fall in the category of commercially sensitive documents that the Department would not generally disclose. Some of the representations received also form part of advice received from strategic health authorities and other national health service bodies. Information of this kind is also not generally disclosed, as it would be detrimental to the provision of free and frank advice.

MRSA

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment the Government have made of whether relationship exists between MRSA and the privatisation of cleaning activities in NHS hospitals.

Melanie Johnson: Analysis carried out by the Department found that there was no statistically significant relationship between the contracting out of cleaning work and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) rates in national health service trusts.
	However, the impact of cost-cutting programmes during the 1980s and 1990s did lead to a reduction in the number of cleaning staff and expenditure on cleaning.
	The problem of MRSA has developed over some time. Between 1993 and 1997, the percentage of S aureus bacteraemias that were MRSA increased from four per cent. to 30 per cent.. It is now settling at just over 40 per cent. The latest data for MRSA bloodstream infections (April-September 2004) show a 6 per cent. drop on the corresponding period in 2003.
	Several initiatives are already improving hospital cleanliness and infection control. These are summarised in Towards cleaner hospitals and lower rates of infections.

Neonatal Care

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average age is of neonatal nurses; and what assessment he has made of the effect on neonatal care of early retirements of such nurses over the next 10 years.

John Hutton: The information requested is not collected centrally. Neonatal nurses are included within the paediatric nursing area of work. As at September 2004, the average age of paediatric nurses employed in the national health service was 37.
	In line with our policy of Shifting the Balance of Power, it is for primary care trusts, in partnership with strategic health authorities and other local stakeholders, to plan, develop and improve services for local people, including neonatal services.

NHS Dentists

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) children and (b) adults were registered with NHS dentists in Chesterfield on the latest date for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: As at 30 September 2004, there were 16,489 children and 47,339 adults63,828 patients in totalregistered with national health service dentists in Chesterfield.
	Source:
	Dental Practice Board.

NHS Professionals

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether staff supplied by NHS Professionals to hospitals undergo the same (a) recruitment, (b) training and (c) occupational health checks that are required of private recruitment agencies; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  when he expects NHS professionals to become self-financing; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  if he will list the NHS trusts which ceased to use NHS professionals in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: holding answer 23 March 2005
	NHS professionals fully complies with the pre and post-employment checks for all those working in the national health service, the appropriate checks and minimum standards set out in the Department's code of practice for the supply of temporary staffing and NHS purchasing and supply agency delivery standards. A recent Department of Trade and Industry audit confirmed that NHS professionals fully met, and in some cases exceeded, the requirements of the Employments Agencies Act and the Conduct of Employment and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003.
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to him on 23 March, regarding when NHS professionals is expected to become self-financing.
	Information relating to the NHS professionals service prior to the establishment of the special health authority in April 2004 is not held centrally. The Pennine care NHS trust disengaged with the NHS professionals nursing service in 2004, but it continues to use the full range of doctors' services.

NHS Reconfiguration (Merton)

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the representations from the London borough of Merton to call in the reconfiguration decisions made by the local NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The Secretary of State has received a referral from the London borough of Merton on the reconfiguration decisions made by the local national health service. We will now consider the issues raised before responding.

NHS Research

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of the research carried out for his Department by Warwick university in connection with its calculations of the market forces factor adjustment as it affects hospitals in Lancashire and Greater Manchester.

John Hutton: holding answer 22 March 2005
	The most recent research carried out on behalf of the Department by university of Warwick, Institute for Employment Research, on the market forces factor, was published in March 2002.
	Copies of the report titled 'Spatial Variations in Labour Costs: 2001 Review of the Staff Market Forces Factor' are available in the Library.

NHS Research

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the differences were between the methodology of the market forces adjustment factor for (a) 200405 and (b) 200506; what effect this has had on the allocation of funds to the hospital trusts in Blackpool and Preston; for what reasons Blackpool and Preston have different allocations; and when the trusts received details of their 200506 allocations using the revised market forces adjustment factor.

John Hutton: holding answer 22 March 2005
	The Payment by results market forces factor (MFF) used in 200405 was updated for 200506 to take account of the most recently available data on earnings, expenditure, land values and building costs. Following advice to Ministers from the independent Advisory Committee on resource allocation, we also made a change to the methodology to make it more sensitive to cost pressures within individual primary care trust areas, rather than the larger areas previously used. Full details are available on the Department's website at: www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/10/02/99/04100299.pdf.
	In 200405, the MFF was a determinant of the prices paid by primary care trusts (PCTs) to national health service trusts for only 48 groups of procedures (known as healthcare resource groups). In 200506, the scope of payment by results will be increasing to cover the whole of elective in-patient care for NHS trusts. PCTs will pay the same national tariff to any trust with which they commission, and an allocation for the MFF for elective care will be made to providers directly from the centre. 200506 will be the first year in which such allocations will be made.
	The Department provided details of the 200506 MFF allocations to the NHS on 21 February 2005. There are three reasons why Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre hospital NHS trust (Blackpool) would have a different MFF allocation to Lancashire teaching hospitals NHS trust (Preston): differences in their volume of elective activity (more activity requires more funding); differences in the case mix of that activity (more complex activity requires more funding), and differences in the MFF itself (trusts located in more expensive areas require more funding). The 200506 MFF for Lancashire teaching is 1.1 per cent., higher than for Blackpool largely because the MFF allows for higher general wage pressures in Preston.

NHS Spending

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 18 March 2005, Official Report, column 518W, on NHS spending, if he will provide the figures for each year since 199697, at (a) real and (b) nominal prices, broken down by (i) hospital expenditure, (ii) community services expenditure, (iii) ambulance services expenditure and (iv) administration expenditure.

John Hutton: It is not possible to break down the figures given in the earlier answers into the categories requested as the accounts of primary care trusts and health authorities do not include this analysis.

NICE Guidance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the National Institute for Clinical Excellence on its draft guidance which does not recommend Aricept, Exelon and Reminyl for treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Rosie Winterton: The Department has corrected press misrepresentation and informed the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) that it would be responding to NICE's draft consultation document. The position was restated in a recent debate in Westminster Hall, Official Report, columns 93101WH, which outlined a number of points the Government later made in their response. A copy of the response is available in the Library and on the Department's website.

Nottinghamshire Drug Action Team

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what qualifications are required of members of the clinically-led Direct Access Management Team for drug treatment established by Nottinghamshire Drug Action Team for the management of general practitioners; and what criteria his Department uses in reaching decisions on funding the clinical management of primary care.

Stephen Ladyman: holding answer 23 March 2005
	The qualifications required for any clinically-led service are specifically addressed in 'Models of Care', the national framework document for the treatment of adult drug misusers, which was published by the National Treatment Agency (NTA) in 2002. Models of Care (NTA, 2002) clearly states that
	A professional should only assess a drug or alcohol misuser or a particular need if they have the required level of competence to do so. Where medical intervention is required for substitute prescribing, an appropriately trained doctor must assess the substance misuser.
	All central funds have been placed into one budget, the drug pooled treatment budget (PTB). In addition to this, approximately 200 million of mainstream local expenditure is spent on drug treatment. Drug action teams (DATs) are responsible for assessing local need and then commissioning services accordingly, using the drug pooled treatment budget and other mainstream funds. There are no central funds or grants available for individual projects.
	Allocations to local DATs from the PTB are made on a formula basis that recognises key deprivation factors, ensuring the money goes to the areas most in need. Year-on-year increases in PTB funding will see the budgets of every drug action team increase by approximately 55 per cent. by 2008.

Nurses

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses were employed in the NHS in each year since 1997.

John Hutton: holding answer 23 March 2005
	The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		NHS hospital and community health services (HCHS): Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff employed in the national health service as at 30 September each year
		
			 Number 
			  Headcount Whole-time equivalents 
		
		
			 1997 318,856 256,093 
			 1998 323,457 257,597 
			 1999 329,637 261,340 
			 2000 335,952 266,987 
			 2001 350,381 277,334 
			 2002 367,520 291,285 
			 2003 386,359 304,892 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census

Nurses

Keith Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to continue the funding of the bursaries for nurses returning to work in the NHS.

John Hutton: holding answer 10 March 2005
	From 1 April 2004, responsibility for funding the bursaries for nurses returning to work in the national health service has been devolved to primary care trusts. (PCTs). This gives PCTs the flexibility to determine the appropriate investment for return to practice, working in partnership with strategic health authorities and other local stakeholders. Furthermore, we are allocating historic levels of funding to PCTs to ensure the NHS secures the workforce necessary to deliver improved services. For the three-year revenue allocations to cover 200304, 200405 and 200506, PCTs received an average cash increase of 9.22 per cent., 9.55 per cent. and 9.32 per cent. This is an average over the three years of 30.83 per cent. For the recent round of allocations to cover 200607 and 200708, PCTs received average cash increases of 9.2 per cent. and 9.4 per cent. This is an average over the two years of 19.5 per cent.

Occupational Code Definitions

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the reclassification of NHS occupational code definitions for managers at Watford general hospital; and if he will list other (a) hospitals and (b) NHS hospital trusts where the same reclassification has taken place.

Stephen Ladyman: The non-medical workforce census is an annual census, which collects all non-medical staff directly employed by the national health service as at 30 September each year. Data are collected at NHS trust and primary care trust level in England.
	The census includes the number of administrative managers and senior managers employed in the NHS. These and other staff are classified using a three-digit occupation code, using guidance contained in the occupation code manual.
	In order to provide accurate information, organisations periodically review the codes assigned to their staff. West Hertfordshire NHS Trust, which includes Watford general hospital, conducted reviews in 2001 and 2002. While the census can identify where year-on-year changes have been made, we cannot accurately identify all the changes that are due to reclassification rather than staff movements.

Organ Donation

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether it is his Department's policy to permit live donors to donate their organs to recipients who are not known to them.

Rosie Winterton: The Human Tissue Act, passed in November 2004, prevents the live donation of organs other than in accordance with regulations to be made by the Secretary of State. It is intended that regulations allow donation to persons unknown to the donor, subject to the scrutiny and approval by the Human Tissue Authority (HTA). It will be a matter for the HTA to prepare guidance on the necessary procedures to be followed. These regulations and guidance will be subject to consultation and parliamentary scrutiny.

Osteopathy

Peter Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether osteopathy is available on the national health service; and whether a charge is made.

John Hutton: It is for primary care trusts (PCTs) to commission services in order to meet the needs of their local population, taking into account evidence for the safety and effectiveness of the treatment, and the availability of properly qualified and regulated practitioners. The profession of osteopathy is regulated by the General Osteopathic Council. Information on the detail of services commissioned by PCTs is not centrally collected.

Patient Throughput

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how he measures patient throughput in hospitals; and what the level of patient throughput has been in each year since 1991, broken down as in Table 3.9.2 of the Department's response to the Health Select Committee's 2004 public expenditure questionnaire.

John Hutton: The data requested are shown in the table. Throughput is calculated as the number of finished consultant episodes divided by the number of available beds.
	
		Patient throughput: 199091 to 200304
		
			  All specialties (excluding day only) General and acute Acute Geriatric 
		
		
			 199091 28 36 46 10 
			 199192 30 39 49 12 
			 199293 32 41 50 13 
			 199394 34 43 53 15 
			 199495 36 44 53 15 
			 199596 38 47 56 17 
			 199697 40 48 57 18 
			 199798 42 51 60 18 
			 199899 43 52 61 19 
			 19992000 44 53 61 19 
			 200001 45 53 62 19 
			 200102 45 53 62 19 
			 200203 47 55 64 20 
			 200304 50 58 67 21 
		
	
	
		
			  Mental illness Learning disability Maternity Day only 
		
		
			 199091 4 2 60 n/a 
			 199192 4 3 64 n/a 
			 199293 5 3 67 n/a 
			 199394 5 3 72 n/a 
			 199495 6 4 79 n/a 
			 199596 6 4 81 n/a 
			 199697 6 6 82 n/a 
			 199798 6 7 72 n/a 
			 199899 6 7 79 n/a 
			 19992000 7 6 82 n/a 
			 200001 6 6 88 n/a 
			 200102 6 7 85 n/a 
			 200203 6 7 92 n/a 
			 200304 6 6 100 n/a

Personal Care

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the total number of people means-tested for their personal care in January 2004 (a) who are now receiving free NHS continuing care and (b) who will receive free NHS continuing care in each of the next five years.

Stephen Ladyman: We do not collect the necessary data on which to base an estimate.

PFI Projects

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total projected cost is of private finance initiative projects which have reached Strategic Outline Case or beyond.

John Hutton: Detailed information on the projected cost of private finance initiative health contracts signed to date has been placed in the Library. This information is only held centrally for projects with a capital value of 10 million or greater.
	It is not possible to include details of the unitary payments for schemes yet to reach financial close as they are not finalised and are commercially sensitive.

Pharmaceutical Products

Adrian Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of existing arrangements for product recall following the discovery of counterfeit pharmaceutical products in the supply chain.

Rosie Winterton: Counterfeit medicines are classified as defective medicines and as such subjected to the existing arrangements for conducting and notifying product recalls.
	The existing arrangements for product recalls are used on a regular basis for recalls and product safety notifications. In 2004, two suspected counterfeit products in the supply chain were recalled using the existing arrangements which operated effectively.

Pharmaceutical Products

Adrian Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions his Department has had with representatives of parallel importers of pharmaceutical products on how repackaging carried out by them may impact on the ability to recall products.

Rosie Winterton: Site inspections of parallel importers are regularly conducted by good manufacturing practice inspectors to ensure they have adequate systems for repacking medicines. Site inspections examine batch records, traceability and recall systems.
	If a site has not recently been involved in a recall, the inspector may ask the site to carry out a dummy recall to ensure suitable systems are available, in accordance with the European Commission's guide to good manufacturing practice.

Pharmacies (Leicester, South)

Parmjit Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pharmacies there have been in Leicester, South in each year since 1997.

Stephen Ladyman: Information about the number of community pharmacies by constituency is not collected centrally. However, data are available and published by primary care trust (PCT). Leicester, South is served by Leicester City West PCT and Eastern Leicester PCT.
	Information prior to 2002 is available by health authority (HA). Leicester, South sat within Leicestershire HA. Table 1 shows the number of community pharmacies by HA, table 2 by PCT.
	
		Table 1: Number of community pharmacies by HA: 199798 to 200102
		
			  Leicestershire HA 
		
		
			 199798 193 
			 199899 193 
			 19992000 190 
			 200001 190 
			 200102 190 
		
	
	
		Table 2: Number of community pharmacies by PCT: 200203 to 200304
		
			  Leicester City West PCT Eastern Leicester PCT 
		
		
			 200203 23 52 
			 200304 23 52 
		
	
	Source:
	Information is collected for PCTs via the annual PHS1 data collection. The latest published data available on general pharmaceutical services in England and Wales (199394 to 200304) were published in January 2005.
	See: www.publications.doh.gov.uk/public/so0505htm.

Procurement

Patrick Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his assessment is of the progress to date of the Procure 21 procurement process.

John Hutton: The national health service ProCure21 programme was set up by the Department to drive forward Government policy as set out in Achieving Excellence in Construction (1999). Through ProCure21, the NHS is delivering facilities:
	Through constructive partnering relationships between the public and private sectors.
	Within budget.
	Which are delivered on time.
	Which incorporate best design.
	Which achieve value for money.
	The programme was rolled out nationally in September 2003. Progress to date is shown in the table.
	
		ProCure21 schemes
		
			  Number Value 
		
		
			 Schemes registered 238 2.4 billion 
			 Schemes on site 49 475 million 
			 Schemes completed 26 90 million 
		
	
	The National Audit Office report, Improving Public Services through better construction, was published on 15 March 2005. Sir John Bourn concluded that there has been considerable improvement in completing projects to time and cost and that real savings were being delivered by those Departments which had adopted partnering and collaborative approaches to construction. NHS ProCure21 was highlighted as a model of best practice.

Renal Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many paediatric patients have received renal replacement therapy for kidney failure in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: Latest figures are from the UK Renal Survey for 2002, which shows there were 710 patients receiving renal replacement therapy for kidney failure from paediatric services in England. Comparable historical data are not available. However, the British Association for Paediatric Nephrology report that in the United Kingdom there were 508 patients under 15 years old in 1999, 516 in 2001 and 534 in 2002.

Renal Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people aged (a) under 26 years, (b) 2650 years, (c) 5160 years, (d) 6170 years and (e) 71 years and over have received kidney dialysis in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: Data from the last two national surveys of renal services commissioned by the Department show that in 2002 there were 16,394 adults receiving kidney dialysis in England compared with 13,405 in 1998. Detailed and specific information on people receiving kidney dialysis broken down into age groups is not yet available. However, the 2002 survey showed that 27 per cent. of adult patients on renal replacement therapy (dialysis and transplantation) were aged 1844, 39 per cent. were aged 4564 and 34 per cent. were aged 65 or older. The survey also shows that half of all new patients are over 65 years when they start renal replacement therapy.

Renal Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what central capital funding is being made available to support the expansion of kidney dialysis services;
	(2)  how many (a) main renal units and (b) satellite renal units for dialysis there are in England; how many of these have been established since 1997; and what steps he is taking to improve patient access to renal services.

Rosie Winterton: 60 million has been made available in the period 200001 to 200506 for capital investment to support the expansion of renal dialysis services. Data from the last two national surveys of renal services commissioned by the Department show that in 1998 there were 52 main renal units in England and 73 satellite units. In 2002, there were 52 main renal units, and the number of satellite units had risen to 101. This does not reflect the full increase in capacity, as additional facilities were also put into existing units; the total number of haemodialysis stations in England rose from 1,890 in 1998 to 2,582 in 2002. Satellite units can be sited to make services available closer to where people live.

Renal Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the Healthcare Commission on how it intends to audit the implementation of the quality requirements contained within the National Service Framework for Renal Services.

Rosie Winterton: It is the role of the independent Healthcare Commission to review the provision of health care, including renal services, using criteria that they develop and that the Secretary of State approves. The commission has recently completed a public consultation on their approach to the assessment of health care, and will publish their new approach shortly. In addition, the commission has responsibility for development of the national clinical audit programme, and the development of national clinical audit around renal services fits within that programme of work.

Renal Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many kidney transplant surgeons there have been in the NHS in each year since 1997.

John Hutton: Information on the number of kidney transplant surgeons is not collected centrally.

Renal Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients are waiting for a kidney transplant; and what estimate he has made of the number of patients who have died while waiting for a kidney transplant in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is shown in the tables.
	
		1: Patients currently(52) registered for a kidney transplant, United Kingdom
		
			 Status Kidney Kidney/pancreas Total 
		
		
			 Active 5,356 96 5,452 
			 Suspended 1,448 30 1,478 
			 Total 6,804 126 6,930 
		
	
	(52) As at 13 March 2005
	
		2: Patients dying while registered (active or suspended) for a kidney transplant in the UK, 2000 to 2004
		
			  Total 
		
		
			 2000 295 
			 2001 230 
			 2002 270 
			 2003 269 
			 2004 259 
		
	
	Note:
	These figures may change slightly (especially 2004) as new data is reported

Renal Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many kidney transplants have been carried out by the NHS in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: The number of kidney transplants carried out by the national health service in each year since 1997 is shown in the table.
	
		Kidney transplants in the UK, 19972004
		
			 Number 
			 Transplant type 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 Deceased donor kidney 1,481 1,326 1,297 1,309 1,333 1,286 1,246 1,358 
			 Kidney with other organs(53) 33 39 43 38 52 64 51 84 
			 Living donor kidney 179 252 270 348 358 372 451 463 
			 Total 1,693 1,617 1,610 1,695 1,743 1,722 1,748 1,905 
		
	
	(53) Primarily with pancreas.

Royal Shrewsbury Hospital

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list items of equipment at the Royal Shrewsbury hospital which have (a) broken down and (b) required repair since 2001.

Stephen Ladyman: This information is not collected centrally.

Social Care Work Force

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance is offered to (a) public and (b) private sector service providers on the inclusion of knowledge and skills in relation to nutrition and malnutrition in the core training of the social care work force at bands two and three of agenda for change.

John Hutton: It is the responsibility of social care service providers to ensure that they employ suitably qualified, competent and experienced staff. National occupational standards set out the skills, knowledge and values required and are used as benchmarks for national vocational qualifications. Joint health and social care national occupational standards contain specific standards on meeting nutritional needs.

Rheumatology

Jane Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what targets he has set for waiting times between referral by general practitioner and appointment with consultant rheumatologist for (a) adults and (b) children.

John Hutton: By the end of 2005, no patient should have to wait more than 13 weeks from general practitioner (GP) referral for a first out-patient appointment with any consultant. This includes consultant rheumatologists. By the end of 2008, the maximum wait will be just 18 weeks from GP referral to the start of treatment. These targets apply regardless of age.

Rheumatology

Jane Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the number of general practitioner consultations for (a) inflammatory arthritis, (b) osteoarthritis and (c) psoriatic arthritis in the last year for which figures are available.

John Hutton: The information requested is not available centrally.

Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor drugs are approved by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence for use by children;
	(2)  what advice has been issued by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency about the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors by children.

Rosie Winterton: The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has not made any recommendations on the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in children.
	Based on the work of its expert working group on the safety of SSRIs, the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) issued advice on the use of SSRIs in the paediatric population in June, September and December 2003. That advice was that the balance of risks and benefits for the treatment of depressive illness in under 18s is judged to be unfavourable for paroxetine (Seroxat), venlafaxine (Efexor), sertraline (Lustral), citalopram (Cipramil), escitalopram (Cipralex) and mirtazapine (Zispin). It is not possible to assess the balance of risks and benefits for fluvoxamine (Faverin,) due to the absence of paediatric clinical trial data. Only fluoxetine (Prozac) has been shown in clinical trials to be effective in treating depressive illness in children and adolescents, although it is possible that, in common with the other SSRIs, it is associated with a small increased risk of self-harm and suicidal thoughts. Overall, the balance of risks and benefits for fluoxetine in the treatment of depressive illness in under 18s is judged to be favourable.

South West London and St. George's NHS Trust

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding he allocated to the South West London and St. George's NHS Trust for (a) Agenda for Change and (b) the new consultant contract; and what the trust's estimate is of the actual cost.

Stephen Ladyman: A total of 7.077 million of central funding was allocated to South West London and St. George's Mental Health National Health Service Trust in relation to the period up to 1 October 2004 when they were an Agenda for Change early implementer site.
	Across England we have allocated 426 million in 200405 and 937 million in 200506 to primary care trusts (PCTs) as part of main allocations to meet the costs of implementing Agenda for Change. This is in addition to the costs of the general pay uplift of around 10 per cent. over three years agreed as part of the Agenda for Change package.
	Funding for the consultant contract, agreed with the British Medical Association during negotiations, was allocated to PCTs in December 2002 as part of main allocations. The amount that went in main allocations was 0.3 per cent. (129 million) in 200304, 0.4 per cent. (178 million) in 200405 and 0.5 per cent. (224 million) in 200506.
	We do not hold complete cost estimates by individual trusts of implementing Agenda for Change or the new consultants' contract.

South West London and St. George's NHS Trust

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what specialist services provided by the South West London and St. George's NHS Trust are due to be ended.

Stephen Ladyman: I understand that South West London and St. George's Mental Health National Health Service Trust is currently reviewing its specialist services.
	The principles behind this work are to match local and national provision to levels of income from commissioners, to provide locally accessible services in the least restrictive environment for clients, and to investigate possible partnerships with other providers such as from the voluntary sector. The changes under consideration are aimed at further improving mental health services in South West London.

South West London and St. George's NHS Trust

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the managerial posts advertised for the South West London and St. George's NHS Trust in the last 12 months, broken down by salary range offered.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department does not collect data for manager vacancies only.

Strategic Health Authorities

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which strategic health authority in England has the largest deficit; and what that deficit is.

John Hutton: In 200304, the latest year for which figures are available, no strategic health authority reported a deficit in its final accounts.

Strategic Health Authorities

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the future of strategic health authorities.

John Hutton: I refer the hon. Member to Creating a Patient-led NHS, Delivering the NHS Improvement Plan, a copy of which is available from the Library. Chapters three and five of this document include information on the future role of strategic health authorities.

Targets

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of whether the public service agreement target to reduce inequalities in health outcomes by 10 per cent., as measured by infant mortality and life expectancy at birth will be met by 2010.

Melanie Johnson: Our most recent assessment shows that despite overall improvements in the health of the population, there is a continuing, if slight, widening of health gap on infant mortality and life expectancy. This assessment is based on data up to 2003, the date the national health inequalities strategy, the Programme for Action, was published. The first challenge set out in the strategy was to stop the health gap from widening further.
	We will be publishing by the summer a first report of progress against the national strategy and 2010 public service agreement target, in line with the commitment in the Programme for Action. This report summarises developments against the target and the main headline indicators and provides a baseline against which to measure future action.

Telephone Numbers

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer by the Minister of State for Health, 1 March 2005, Official Report, column 1090W, on telephone numbers, if he will make a further statement on the use of national or premium rate numbers by national health service organisations.

John Hutton: Regulations have been made which will ban the use of national and premium rate telephone numbers for general practitioner practices. Directions will also be made which cover primary care trusts and national health service trusts.

Traditional Herb Medicines Products Directive

Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the impact of the proposed traditional herb medicines products directive on the registration of treatments for head lice.

Rosie Winterton: There are 25 products licensed under medicines legislation for the treatment of head lice in the United Kingdom. All of these are either restricted to pharmacy sale or supply by a prescription from a doctor. These products will remain unaffected by the implementation of the directive on traditional herbal medicinal products (2004/24/EC).
	There may be other products used in the treatment of head lice, which currently reach the market as unlicensed herbal remedies. These will potentially qualify to be registered under Directive 2004/24/EC when it is implemented on 30 October this year. To qualify for registration, products will have to demonstrate that they comply with the required evidence of traditional usage and that they meet the required standards of safety and quality.
	Products registered under Directive 2004/24/EC will have indications exclusively appropriate to traditional herbal medicinal products, which due to their composition and purpose are intended and designed for use without the supervision of a medical practitioner for diagnostic purposes or for the prescription or monitoring of treatment. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) anticipates that the majority of products registered under this directive will be suitable for general sale list status.

Uniforms

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice he has given (a) hospitals and (b) other health facilities on (i) the wearing of staff uniforms outside those facilities, (ii) staff access to spare uniforms and (iii) the provision of laundry facilities.

John Hutton: The Department has not issued guidance on the wearing or availability of uniforms in the healthcare environment.
	It is for individual national health service trusts to determine their own policies on the wearing of uniforms away from the workplace. It is for the trust chief executive to ensure that nurses have enough suitable clothing and equipment to carry out their duties effectively.
	Health Service Guidance 95(18), published in 1995, provides advice and guidance to NHS organisations on laundry practices. The prevention and control of infection is part of the overall risk management within the healthcare environment and NHS trusts are required to have risk management protocols in place.

Waiting Times

Peter Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time to see (a) an audiologist and (b) an ear, nose and throat specialist is in the Fareham and Gosport Primary Care Trust area.

Rosie Winterton: The table shows the average waiting time to see an ear nose and throat specialist in the Fareham and Gosport Primary Care Trust (PCT) area. Information is not collected centrally on waiting times for audiology.
	
		Average waiting time to see an ear, nose and throat specialist (specialty: 120ENT) relating to Fareham and Gosport PCT area
		
			  200405 
			  Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 
		
		
			 Seen 0 to 4 140 143 219 
			 Seen 4 to 13 336 344 334 
			 Seen 13 to 17 23 20 17 
			 Seen 17 to 21 1 1 1 
			 Seen 21 plus  0 0 
			 Average (weeks) 6.96 6.92 5.81 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures shown are the median wait.

Worcestershire Acute Hospital NHS Trust

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the accumulated deficit is of the Worcestershire Acute Hospital NHS Trust; what measures are being taken to reduce the deficit; and by when the Trust is required (a) to bring its budget into balance and (b) to eliminate the deficit.

Stephen Ladyman: The accumulated financial deficit for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals National Health Service Trust at 31 March 2004 was 25.1 million. West Midlands South strategic health authority (SHA) has provided planned financial support in the current year (200405) of 5 million.
	A comprehensive financial recovery plan has been developed involving all of the organisations within the Worcestershire health economy. Work on this recovery plan is continuing, with expenditure, efficiency and service effectiveness under review. The financial year 200506 is the final year of this plan. The SHA continues to work with the Trust to ensure that it achieves financial balance on a year-by-year basis.